Witnessing Child Abuse. Taking Action

Was just shopping. A woman passed me. I got a sense that she was a dark entity. A human black hole. I saw her child. The child looked unkempt. The child's long hair looked like a rat's nest. The woman, by contrast, was fit and well dressed. I said a brief, silent prayer for the child and continued shopping.

As I was leaving the store, I realized that the woman and her child were ahead of me. As soon as the family exited the store, the woman grabbed the daughter's long, messy hair, grabbed it close to the child's scalp, and started jerking the little girl's head around on her neck. Her body jerked as well. She cried. The woman cursed the child in a voice of complete anger.

There were also other family members.

I followed them to their car and took note of their license plate. They saw me and asked what was up. I said, "I saw what you did to your child. I'm reporting you to the police for child abuse."

I walked away.

I phoned the police. A bored-sounding woman answered. I reported the incident. The woman had trouble keeping the facts straight. I told her the make and color of the vehicle and she even screwed that up. She didn't convey any sense of urgency.

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I posted the above account on Facebook shortly after the incident. Facebook friends Karla and Vivian, God bless them, urged me to phone, not just the police, but also state authorities devoted to child abuse. Karla looked up and provided that number: 1-877-NJABUSE (652-2873). I am very grateful to Karla and Vivian for their support.

I did phone the above number and the woman I spoke to was superb. She was intelligent, courteous, and thorough.

I hope to God that this child gets help.