Infant Death or Murder-

Each night I try my very best to avoid the news because quite frankly it is not only depressing but basically becoming more and more political. Yes, this is the beginning of a new presidential election year but the fact remains there are other stories that need to be focused on more and heavily discussed to make a true difference.

Last night upon listening to the news I was drawn in by the story of a one year old boy being found unconscious by his stepfather and two hours later pronounced dead at the hospital. This baby didn’t have a voice yet and if he had no one around him listened, but simply turned the other cheek as they so frequently do in New York City.

Upon the police arriving at the scene they noticed the baby had a previous broken leg as he was wearing a cast, had bruises on his face and body and cigarette burn marks on his arms. The neighbors upon being questioned stated they heard a lot of commotion within the apartment, yet never reported it. Had they acted sooner they could’ve saved this little soul and given him a chance to be taken away from his parents and a chance to be alive today.

There was no mention of the mother within yesterdays news segment and upon buying the newspaper this morning I had to search and search for the article as Demi Moore’s seizure episode was front page news and the story on the baby, “Dead Infant had signs of Abuse: Cops,” was found on page 32 within the obituary section with no picture of the infant and again no mention of his mother.

As a parent I cannot comprehend how someone can possibly abuse a small child to the extent of murder and why no one got involved. This baby based on the police officers on the scene was obviously abused. The stepfather who was taken in for questioning said he found him in the middle of the living room floor unconscious and called for an ambulance. When the officers asked why the baby had a cut on his face the response was, “we were sleeping on the sofa and he fell off.” Red flags go up automatically when you see the evidence of abuse described within this article, and again the neighbors did nothing. Since I grew up in the City I know all too well how easy turning the other cheek as I have seen others do the same growing up, but that was my main reason for wanting a better place to bring up my child.

My heart truly aches for this little baby as if he was my own and the tears I shed for him last night upon hearing about his ordeal will forever haunt me. This baby didn’t deserve to be tormented as he was, and even though the autopsy results aren’t in yet I know he was murdered. The signs are evident and this little soul suffered needlessly in the hands of people that should’ve loved and cared for him. To think what his tiny little mind wondered makes me shiver. Since there was no one there to protect and love him as he should’ve been I can only find solace knowing he is now in a better place and finally feeling the love he should’ve had from the start.

Rest in peace little soul lost, I will always keep you in prayer.

~Susan B. Anna