Category Archives: Physical Abuse

One of the 5 forms of Child Abuse

Child Abuse, Child Innocence, Child Sexual Abuse, Good Parenting, Physical Abuse, StopChildAbuse

Bianca Who Did This To You?

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.jpg photo of movie poster telling about Child Abuse
Bianca who did this to you?

Movie Tackles Topic Of Child Abuse

Randy Holloway hopes audiences leave “Bianca: Who Did This To You?” ready for the next step.

“The one thing I really want the movie to do is help start the conversation, because these issues never get talked about,” says the Detroit-based director-writer-producer of the drama about the abuse of girls and women.  It screens at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the AMC Star Southfield.

“Bianca: Who Did This To You?” follows the journey of one woman who is molested as a child by members of her church, physically and mentally abused by her parents and forced to leave home to start a new life.  Getting married seems to promise a fresh chapter, but then something happens that could take her back to the pain she thought she had escaped.

The movie was shot in February 2014 with a local cast and crew. Michigan State University graduate and model Qiana M. Davis plays the grown-up Bianca.  Other actors include Shawntay Dalon, who’ll appear on the Comedy Central series “Detroiters,” and Robert Shannon, who’s had roles in Detroit-filmed projects like AMC’s “Low Winter Sun.”

Also featured in the film are original songs by “American Idol” season 13 top 10 finalist Malaya Watson of Southfield, who’ll be at the event and give a live performance.

A portion of the proceeds will go to SASHA Center.  Its mission includes increasing awareness of sexual assault, providing resources and public education, and offering peer support groups to survivors of rape in southeast Michigan.

Holloway says he hopes “Bianca” will help others who’ve endured abuse and that he already struck a chord when he created a Facebook page about the movie.

“I got so many messages thanking me and saying,’This is my story.  I am Bianca.’ “

‘Bianca: Who Did This To You?’
7:30 p.m. Sat.

AMC Star Southfield

$25 for screening, $35 for VIP ticket (includes reception with food, drink, a meet-and-greet with cast and crew)

Tickets can be purchased at Neptix.com

Bianca Who Did This to You?  Trailer #1

Child Abuse, Indifference, Parenting, Physical Abuse, StopChildAbuse

Missouri Man Arrested For Child Abuse At School

.jpg photo of suspect in child abuse case
Youssif Omar, 53

Suspect in child abuse arrest disaffiliated with MU in July

COLUMBIA, MO  –  A Columbia man who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of abusing a 14-year-old female relative for failing to wear her hijab is a former adjunct instructor at MU.

Youssif Omar, 53, was arrested Wednesday evening at the 1700 block of Timber Creek Drive on suspicion of child abuse.  Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Bryana Larimer said in an email statement that police were dispatched to Hickman High School at 3 p.m. that day in reference to the incident.

Larimer said that after Omar noticed the relative not wearing her hijab that he “grabbed her violently by the hair, pulled her outside and down a flight of stairs.”  He then slapped the girl in the face, pulled her by the hair again and put her into a vehicle, the report said.

Omar was taken to the Boone County Jail. He was later released after posting $4,500 bond.

Christian Basi of the MU News Bureau said Monday that Omar has not been affiliated with MU since July 2015.  He also refuted widespread media reports that Omar was an assistant professor, saying that Omar had never held a faculty position.  The MU directory on Monday morning listed Omar as an adjunct instructor of Arabic in the Department of German and Russian Studies.

Basi confirmed that Omar had been an adjunct and said he also was a research assistant in the Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum and in the Campus Writing Program.

Omar is also the former managing editor of MU’s Artifacts, a semi-annual journal of undergraduate essays sponsored by the Campus Writing Program.  Essays published in the journal come from MU writing intensive and composition courses.

Each edition of the journal includes an introduction from the managing editor.  Omar wrote essays titled “Good Will in Globalized World” in April, “Divine Matrix” in December, “Diversity” in August 2014 and “Importance of Art in Our Life” in April 2014.

Omar remained listed as the managing editor of the publication early Monday morning, but the website was later updated to show Bonnie Selting of the Campus Writing Program as the new managing editor.

The Boone County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Monday that the case remained under review.

Child Abuse, Parenting, Physical Abuse, StopChildAbuse, Violence

Kansas Councilman & Wife Accused Of Child Abuse

Jonathan Schumm
Allison Schumm

TOPEKA, Kansas  –  A Kansas city councilman and his wife were arrested on Nov. 19 on allegations of child abuse.

Jonathan and Allison Schumm, both of Topeka, are each charged with aggravated battery and abuse of a child, as well as four counts of endangering a child.  They were released on bond they day after their arrests and neither is allowed contact with any of their 16 children, 12 of whom are adopted.

Court documents list five children as victims, all between the ages of five and 16.  At least one child, a 12-year-old was allegedly tortured, or cruelly beaten by the Schumm’s, according to court documents.

The Kansas Department of Children and Families has not confirmed if or how many children were taken from the Schumm’s.

The Department of Children and Families first asked Topeka police on Nov. 4 for help investigating reports of physical abuse against the Schumm’s children, according to city officials.

This is Schumm’s first term on Topeka City Council.  He was elected to represent the 4th District, which is in the southeast corner of the city, last April.

In 2013, the couple received a national “Angels in Adoption Award.”

Child Abuse, Parenting, Physical Abuse, StopChildAbuse

Former MA Resident Faces Child Abuse Charges

.jpg photo of Courthouse in MA
Attleboro District Court’s James H. Sullivan Courthouse

NORTH ATTLEBORO, MA  –  A 36-year-old former local man is awaiting arraignment today on charges he allegedly beat his girlfriend’s 19-month-old daughter in 2013.

Sean Sherrick faces two child abuse charges in Attleboro District Court.

He was summoned to court in April 2013 but failed to appear for his arraignment.  He has been wanted since that time on a default warrant and his whereabouts since then were not known, according to police.

He was recently arrested in Rhode Island and was held on fugitive charges before being brought to the North Attleboro police station and court this morning.

At the time of the alleged assault in February 2013, Sherrick was the mother’s boyfriend.  The pair is no longer together and Sherrick is not the child’s biological father, according to police.

The mother told police she left her daughter with Sherrick at their North Attleboro apartment to pick up her paycheck at work in Norton.  She returned and later found bruises on her baby’s face. She took the baby to the pediatrician and the baby was later taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, according to police.

Police were notified at the time by the state department of Children and Families.

Better Laws, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Indifference, Parenting, Physical Abuse, StopChildAbuse

Three FL People Arrested For Child Abuse

BAY COUNTY, FL  –  The Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people on child abuse charges in two separate cases.

Scott Hall, 45, was arrested this week after he allegedly repeatedly called a juvenile threatening to hurt her or himself.  The sheriff’s office says Hall is involved in a molestation case with the victim and is facing charges for contacting and threatening her.

In another case, 28 year-old Elizabeth Dean and 24 year-old Christopher Martin were contacted by the sheriff’s office when a juvenile in their care went to school with marks on his neck.

Reports say according to the victim, Martin placed his arms around his neck until he was unable to breathe because he took candy meant for another child.  When deputies questioned the couple, they say they got conflicting stories.

Martin is charged with child abuse and Dean with providing false information to law enforcement.