On the evidence of a study by the Wesley Mission, there are a very large number of people in this country who should not be permitted to fuck each other, let alone have children.

What about this?

“A report is made to the police or other agency across Australia every 35 minutes regarding an instance of child abuse, the numbers of notifications have almost doubled over the past five years and our research suggests that many other incidences go unreported.”

Or this?

In a survey of 1,200 people, 33 per cent had suffered one, or a combination of sexual, physical abuse or violence in the home and 40 per cent had suffered emotional abuse.

Just staggering!

If people can’t handle children, don’t have them. Simple! Becoming pregnant and having children is nowadays a largely discretionary choice. If you’re not smart enough to take control, you’re not smart enough to have kids. If you can’t afford them, don’t have them. Its all largely within your control, and if you’re unfit to take responsibility for that you shouldn’t be rooting each other.

Speaking of such people, Blakely and Sharon Ward must be right up there. Arrested yesterday for the murder of their 7 year old daughter, Shellay, who was found allegedly starved to death at their Hawks Nest home earlier this month. She weighed just 9 kgs, less than half the weight of a typical 7 year old, near Wollongong, after having fled their home a week ago. Surprise, surprise, according to the police, during the afternoon they were taken, separately, to Wollongong Hospital.

“They were taken to hospital because they have certain medications that they’ve been prescribed,”

Let me go out on a limb here …. I’m betting on methadone. What a surprise, substance abuse behind a child abuse case! Hardly surprising, the father looks like a dero.

(For the full spectacle, you need to see him on TV, covered in tattoos, including EVIL on his knuckles, and long straggly hair – and that tattoo is something he seems to have lived up to, allegedly anyway).

Interesting too that they have been charged with murder. Does that suggest they actively harmed Shellay rather than simply neglecting her?

The Department of Community Services has been copping a hammering over this and other cases. While they are far from blameless, DOCS does not kill the children …. thats usually the swine these kids have for parents (mum’s new boyfriend features heavily in such cases too).

It amazes me that DOCS and other agencies give these families so many chances. In the case of the Wards they had 4 children, and they have been regular customers of DOCS for something like 14 years, including having children removed from their care at times. Its not like in most abuse cases there aren’t plenty of warning signs. I’d say its time for the authorities to take these seriously right from the get go …. instead the approach seems to be to give the families the benefit of the doubt and second, third and more chances. I’d have thought with children the onus on the family to get care of their abused children back should be something like “beyond reasonable doubt” that they are fit to do so.

Be Sociable, Share!

•