Karen Spears Zacharias: "A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-04-25/karen-spears-zacharias-silence-mockingbirds-memoir-murder
Karly Sheehan
MacAdam/Cage Publishing
On June 5th, 2005 in an small Oregon college town thought to be a ‘good place to raise kids’ a three year old girl was tortured and killed. Her name was Karly Sheehan. The boyfriend of Karly’s mother is serving time for the murder. Investigative journalist Karen Spears Zacharias tells the story of Karly’s life and death, She questions why others who could have and should have protected the little girl didn’t. The story of Karly Sheehan and the urgent need to better protect all children from abuse.
Guests
Karen Spears Zacharias
journalist and author of "Hero Mama"
Comments
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Tough to comment when ones stomach is in knots. Stunned, shocked, sickened, terribly sad. What a brave woman to write about this horrific story. Bless little Carly's soul. And may this story push people to respond when they think or know child abuse is taking place.
"a child dies from abuse or neglect every five minutes" Did you say five minutes?
20,000 children dead from abuse and neglect in how long? Thank you thank for bringing this horrific topic up and writing about the murder of dear tiny innocent Carly. May people learn from this horrific event
I keep wanting to turn this horrible story off. No I need to listen
Do you think the pressure, not to abort is a direct or indirect cause of this type of behavior?
Listening to this story has made me cry and become so angry. I want to do something to change our system NOW. What can I do?
Listening to this story has made me cry and become so angry. I want to do something to change our system NOW. What can I do?
Although luckily nothing ever happened to my step daughter, the laws continue to be on the side of the mother when they ought to start from a point of equity. Too many times, the courts assume the mother to be the "more fit" parent. In my state (Michigan), I honestly believe a woman could be a prostitute and still be awarded primary custody of her child. (And to clarify, my husband's ex was neither a prostitute nor into any other illegal activity - she was just a petty immature witch.) I watched my husband be denied visitation- he would show up for scheduled visits and no one would be home - it would be 6:00 PM on Friday and the courts are closed- who's there to protect the father's rights? On one occasion, she filed a claim of child endangerment when my husband took his then 12 year old daughter camping - the claim was they were not in a fixed location or room - it rained one night and they slept in the truck! And in case you think this is about me being a homewrecker - my husband divorced not be his choice when his daughter was 2. I came into their lives when she was 10. As a woman, I have firmly come to believe that at least 50% of divorced women are psychopaths. When you deny a good parent access to a child - never mind endangering them on your own end, you pretty much suck.
Is there a correlation between economic conditions and the rate of child abuse? Can child abuse be tied to any social conditions, and, hence, tracked, anticipated, and therefore ultimately prevented?
In the US, a child dies as a result of abuse or neglect every 5.6 hours on average. There were 1560 fatalities in 2011 alone, according to data compiled by the Dept of Health and Human Services: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm10/cm10.pdf#page=9
The US has the worst record of any country in the developed world when it comes to levels of child abuse and neglect, and yet there seems to be no interest in reporting this issue in the mainstream media, and, in my experience a huge amount of public apathy towards it.
Why is that?
A child dies in the US every 5 hours. That's horrific enough and totally unnecessary. May Carly's death push us to stop this child abuse.
While this story is truly tragic, there are mis-statements here by Ms. Zacharias that need to be addressed. First, women are favored in family court regarding custody decisions, it is true, but they are also in the same proportion primary care givers for their children even when both parents work. In criminal law, especially regarding violence against children women are more vigorously prosecuted and receive heavier sentences than men.
Second, I keep hearing this report that women are more likely to neglect children, but this is never coupled with the fact that men who simply absent are not counted as neglecting their children. Nor are men who fail to pay child support. A woman who work 18 hours a day and cannot find reliable child care for her children is neglecting her kids. And a child who drowns in the bath is a victim of neglect. Mothers give the vast majority of baths. If she is distracted or despite all the warnings to NEVER leave a baby in the bath alone, does, that is death by neglect. This is not actively starving a child. This is a horrible and fatal mistake.
Again, the "fact" of women's neglect of children is not broken down into degree of neglect, or frequency of neglect.
While abuse and neglect of children is a horrible epidemic that does need to be addressed - and the idea of baby blanket draped coffins filling the Mall seems like a good image to bring some attention to this - we need to be clear when we state the case as to where the dangers are because the remedies differ.
Was on hold but wasn't able to get in but USA today did a story on (recently) this and how prosecutors fail to go after doctors, hospitals and custodial mother for failure to report child abuse. My son was taken to a local hospital in Indianapolis with a broken collar bone and it appears the ER personnel just took her word that his older brother did it. Didn't tell ER that older brother was an 18 yr old adult male, but I don't believe he did it, I believe the violent convicted felon step did it. But she would not report it because she doesn't want to lose the child and the $500.00 a month in support she receives. Prosecutor Terry Curry won't go after anyone involved. The hospital was (is) cmmunity East and I don't believe they followed the protocols on reporting suspected abuse.
This doesn't completely surprise me. I lived in an apartment in Beaverton, OR for a couple years above a neglectful mother. My neighbors and I reported her several times to authorities and nothing was ever done about this poor toddler in diapers who was left alone outside in all kinds of weather in a small fenced in backyard all day nearly every day. The system just doesn't seem to help those who need it most.
I found it frustrating listening to the show today. I agreed with the quest moderator's sincere negative reaction and concern about this child absue case. But a year or so ago this same show and same moderator hosted a speaker about "false " sexual abuse allegations and victim recantations of child sexual abuse. The hosted speaker that day was a well known associate and front for a group of people, many substantaited and even convicted incestuous child molesters, who do not think sexual activity with their own children shoud be regulated or criminalized. Several of us listenerscommneted abouthis that day. It was unclear if the show's producers or the moderator were unaware of this fact. That prior show accidentally gave these molestors free publicity. I commenting fromther perspective of having worked as a master's level child protective services investigaror and case manager for over 30 years. I worked wiht several mother, especially in sexaul absue cases, who were complicit or even co-perpetrators in the abuse.
There does need to be a National Policy to address child abuse and it should include pre-screening that requires certain people to have to pass a test before they are allowed to have children. Like a drivers license
The topic of child abuse and neglect has been a daily thought of mine since our grandson was born in Sept. His mom had some issues at the time of his birth and he fell into the care of Child Protective Services. He's living with his aunt and we take care of him half of the time so he's good. But in the last six months what I have learned about child abuse and the agencies responsible for protecting children is frightening indeed.
In the last 16 months in Cincinnati, 5 children whose cases were being supervised by CPS were murdered- most, like Caley, by boyfriends or parents. The Jobs and Family Services agency is working with a budget and staff roughly half that of 2009 levels. Consequently those left to look out for the kids are overworked, under-supervised and insufficiently supported. Not surprisingly, those left at the agency are either magnificently dedicated, caring people caught in a no-win situation or they are simply bad employees that are kept around to fill a space. As is often the case with any bureaucracy there is absolutely not accountability whatsoever. When a child dies there are “investigations” and lots of political finger--pointing and promises to “learn from this tragedy” but, for the most part, nothing changes. And kids keep getting killed. It's truly a dysfunctional system.
The safety net for those in our society most at risk has so many holes in it that it's a wonder it catches anyone at all. When our federal legislators are more interested in convening a congressional investigation into the college football BCS playoffs than helping victims of child abuse I think that speaks volumes.
Gandhi once said that a society will be judges by how it treats the its most vulnerable members. Meanwhile, kids keep dying.
Thank you Ms. Zacharias for your dedication to the subject.
I realize that there was a short disclaimer that warned about graphic content. But this was the saddest most disturbing and upsetting, unimaginable thing I've ever heard. I happen to be on hormone therapy as a follow up from cancer, so I think that makes me perhaps more emotional sometimes. But I was so upset I had to take the afternoon off from work. I still can't get the story out of my head, and will probably have nightmares tonight. On one hand I really wish there were something I could do to help, but on the other I really wish I had heeded the warning and not listened. maybe the warning should have been more strongly worded, like: If you have a vivid imagination, or are prone to nightmares, or are on hormone therapy, you really really should consider not listening to this story. I usually appreciate the show, but this one was way too much for me.
I cannot even begin to formulate the words to express how I feel about this tragedy. This will haunt me forever. I just cannot believe that we have a system in place that is so inept and broken... Shame on this town and it's law enforcement for allowing that "mother" (if we can even call her that) to walk free and profit financially from her daughter's murder. She is disgusting. The worst kind of human being. I may never be able to shake the outrage and horror of this.
One more note: on seeing the photo of Karen Spears Zacharias on the same page with Diane Rehm's photos, I was struck with the notion that Karen should have had the opportunity grow to be as beautiful (and I think she bore a striking resemblance) as Diane Rehm herself. Perhaps she would have been Diane's successor. Again, unimaginable sad sad story.
The national organization, Every Child Matters, has been working on the issue of child abuse deaths for quite some time.
It is part of a national coalition of groups seeking to pass the "Protect Our Kids Act."
That act would create a federal commission to investigate and propose a series of improvements and national standards for the states to follow.
ECM estimates that the problem is worse than described here. It estimates 2500 deaths a year, or one every 4 hours.
For more info, please go to www.everychildmatters.org. While there, please sign the petition to get the Protect Our Kids Act passed this year!
I cried as I listened to this program. How any adult can cause such abuse to a child is beyond me. My heart goes out to the author and pity to the mother who allowed her child to suffer
so horribly.
As a father of a 7-year old girl,I was horrified and deeply traumatized
when I heard the story of Karly Sheehan.How could such hatred, and
savage,brutal violence be directed at a 3-year old toddler?At what depth
of psychological chaos would a man allow himself to abuse,torture and murder a young child? How could her mother,the Police,and our court
system fail to protect Karly?The world was too busy with itself,or
asleep when the little girl was savagely murdered.I am deeply ashamed.
If we could not protect our youngs,then we would have no future.
Heard this program while driving on a trip and almost had to pull the car off the road. What affected me even more strongly than the poor child in the book was the grandfather who called in and told the story of his granddaughter being abused by her father and although only 18 months old, she fainted from fright when her grandmother had to hand the child to her father, who eventually killed her.
These issues need to be the lead story on the news. I have seen what child abuse has done to a precious child within my own family. And I would bet that almost everyone has either a family member, neighbor, or friend who has had to stand helplessly by while DHS or Child Protective Services fails to protect a child because they are so understaffed or just plain afraid of intervening. Or because, as was the case in my family, the abuser, who can be absolutely charming and convincing, "snows" the investigator.
Kathleen: The stats say that a child is abused ever 36 seconds in this country. On average five children a day die from abuse. Over 3 million children in this country were referred for abuse last year. Child Protective Services has a 60 percent failure rate by their own stats. Thank you for listening and speaking out.
No.
MHenry: You can begin by writing Congressmen & Senators and urging them to get involved, to pass a national Child Abuse law. Every Child Matters has been actively working on this. Do you know we have designated funding for military recruiting at NASCAR but not for this issue? Demand change. Call for accounting in the Child Protective Services. Sarah wasn't the only one never held responsible. CPS wasn't either. Volunteer through the CAMI programs in your state if they have one. Be a good neighbor to a child who needs one. Pay attention to the children already in your circle of contacts. There are more helpful references in the back of the book.
Thank you Jandygirl for your tears. But remember abused children don't need us to feel sorry for them. They need us to speak up for them. Do that.
All very important questions -- ones we need to be asking over and over again and out loud until we get answers and then we need to be using our voices on behalf of these children. Thank you for caring.
Exactly how I felt when I heard the grandfather's story. I wish I could tell you it's unusual. It is not. Grandparents all across this nation are dealing with issues just like this. I waited until after the show as over, went to the car and wept for this man and his family.
Journalist have got to do a better job. Why is the BBC coming here to cover what our own journalists are failing to cover? And why do we care more about DWTS than we do the children dying and suffering here on US soil?
We must change this. Children are dying.
Singldad: I am so sorry to learn how much this show upset you. But consider this -- if I write a book about child abuse that doesn't make you weep, doesn't make you upset, doesn't make you angry, doesn't make you act, I haven't done a very good job as a writer, now have I?
If I write a book about child abuse that leaves you apathetic, I need to quit writing.
Lorena: Child abuse is happening in cities all across this nation. Shame on all of us for allowing it to continue unabated, unchallenged.