An Innocent Life Shattered

I'm beginning to think that it would be beneficial to my health to break my news addiction. You see, I take medication for high blood pressure, and when I see stories like this one, I can literally FEEL it shooting through the roof...

DALLAS (AP) -- A 22-year-old mother was facing child abuse charges Friday after police say she glued her toddler daughter's hands to a wall, kicked her in the stomach and beat her over a potty training issue.

Joselyn Cedillo, 2, was on life support with multiple internal injuries at a Dallas hospital Thursday, The Dallas Morning News reported ( http://dallasne.ws/pKJtEb ).

The newspaper, citing police records, said glue and paint were stuck to Joselyn's palms, and that skin had torn away in places.

One of the girl's brothers said their mother kicked the child in the stomach and beat her with a belt and shoe, according to police records.

Another sibling said she couldn't sleep during the night because she heard her mother yelling and the girl crying. She said Joselyn had been having difficulty with potty training. She said Escalona dragged Joselyn by her feet from the kitchen to another part of the apartment, put glue on her hands and stuck them to the wall.

"This is beyond abuse," said Dallas police Sgt. Brenda Nichols. "This is torture."

The story goes on to say that this animal is facing a felony injury to a child charge (gee, ya THINK?) which carries a sentence of up to life in prison.

I ran into a former co-worker the other day and we were discussing the judicial system and the fact that the victims are often "victimized" by the system. You see, her ex-husband has been convicted of horrible acts, the nature of which I will not discuss. He has yet to be sentenced, however the sentencing hearing is coming up soon and it appears that he might get all of 10 years in prison - maybe. This man's victims have had their innocence stripped away and their childhood became their nightmare. They have been scarred forever. Nothing - not any amount of counseling, therapy or remuneration will ever, EVER remove those scars.

This little 2 year old will also be scarred - physically and emotionally...IF she lives. What the HELL kind of world do we live in when a mother - the one person who is supposed to guard and protect the little ones - can commit such atrocities on a baby?? And what of her other children? Have they been abused as well? From the way the story reads, it almost sounds like such an occurrence was commonplace in that household. Is it any wonder the child had issues with potty training? And what about a father? Is he in the picture?

Friends, this story makes me physically ill. Part of me wants to cry, and the larger part wants to get that so-called "mother" in a room for 5 minutes alone. I cannot begin to imagine what this poor little child was thinking and feeling when the person who is supposed to love and cherish her was beating the shit out of her.

It is my fervent hope and prayer that the justice system does not fail this little one...that this cretin gets the maximum sentence. And I can't help but also hope that while in prison, she gets a little taste of her own medicine.