We have mentioned before the seriousness of domestic violence allegations on this blog before. Officials respond quickly to such accusations, especially in situations involving the well-being of children. Claims of child abuse are threatening to not just a person’s future but to their emotional and mental well-being.
Imagine being a parent and having people suggest that you are responsible for injuries to your child when you, in fact, had nothing to do with those injuries. In 2008, a Colorado father became the prime suspect of child abuse when medical professionals discovered his baby girl had various broken bones. Those injuries were not the result of abuse from the father, or anyone.
Authorities took the 3-month-old child out of the custody of her parents due to suspicion of child abuse. Reports do not indicate that there had been prior reason to support the suspicion that the family was involved with violence.
Before the truth could be discovered regarding the baby’s injuries, extreme tragedy took place. The accused father reportedly shot his wife and then himself in their home. They both died, and just days before it was discovered that their baby’s injuries were due to a rare genetic disorder that killed her before her first birthday.
This is a case of severe accusations and intense emotion. This post is not to say that the domestic violence allegation directly led to the murder-suicide. This is just an extreme example of why it is crucial for accusations of child abuse to be handled with thorough investigation and extreme sensitivity.
Source: The Huffington Post, “David And Tiffany O’Shell Murder-Suicide Triggered By Allegations Of Child Abuse, Posthumously Cleared By Genetic Test,” April 3, 2012