Guardian ad Litem Blames Child for not Telling Abusive Father that he was Hurting the Boy.
September 13 1992 Transcript:
Zachary:
He started hitting me.
Michael London:
What do you mean he started hitting you?
Zachary:
He started hitting me on the back.
Michael London:
How did he hit you on the back?
Zachary:
What?
Michael London:
How did he hit you?
Zachary:
He just started hitting me with his hand.
Michael London:
Well like is that something like you would do...
Zachary:
What I don’t know
Michael London:
You know like how you…
Zahcary:
Well it hurt
Michael London:
Alright what did you say to him?
Zachary:
What?
Michael London:
What did you say to him?
Zachary:
Nothing
Michael London:
Oh alright you didn’t let him know he was hurting you?
Zachary:
Um um
Michael London:
Uh okay alright well
Zachary:
And I’m not sure if he was playing or wasn’t.
Michael London:
Oh alright, you didn’t know your not sure if he was playing with you or if, if he was hitting you.
Zachary:
Well when, when I saw my mom I started crying.
Michael London:
Mh hum..
Zachary:
Cause it hurt
Michael London:
Well were you crying when mark was doing it?
Zachary:
No
Michael London:
Well okay well alright.
Zachary:
I’m scared of him. I’m scared of him to think.
Michael London:
You’re scared of him?
Zachary:
Yeah
Michael London:
Why are you scared of him?
Zachary:
I well because he starts hurting me. He was um mean and I don’t want to go with him anymore.
Michael London:
Okay well you had a good time during that two weeks you were with him us.
Zachary:
He grabbed m by the arm.
Michael London:
Yeah how didn’t you talk about Dr. Cline about that?
Zachary:
Yeah
Michael London:
And I thought that was something you worked out with Dr. Cline.
Zachary:
Not really…
Michael London:
What else did you do yesterday?
Zachary:
What? Uh, I don’t remember. I’m too sad to think about it.
Michael London:
Too sad to think about it? Why are you so sad?
Zachary:
I’m scared of mark. I’m too scared to think and I’m not going to go with him!
Michael London:
Well were going to have to talk about that.
Zachary:
And if you make me I’ll run away.
Michael London:
Well, that we’re going to have to talk about that, alright well we’ll talk with Dr. Cline.
Zachary:
I’ll kill him if he hurts me again.
Michael London:
What? What?
Zachary:
I’ll kill him if he hurts me again.
Michael London:
Do you ever tell him that he’s hurting you?
Zachary:
No I’m too scared he’ll get mad.
Michael London:
Alright well I think I think it would be appropriate if you were to tell him, like when he was hitting you when you were playing like a dog. Tell him you’re hurting me because maybe he doesn’t know that he’s hurting you maybe he should know. Do you tell him that you’re scared of him?
Zachary:
No I’m too afraid hell get mad.
Michael London:
Ok
Zachary:
I’m never going with him again!
Michael London:
Well I will like I will call I’m going I will call and find out what, what this is all about.
Zachary:
Ok
Michael London:
Ok I mean Mark may not even know what he did and if you don’t tell him then he’s never going to know and then he’s going to think that that you, you know that you’re making up stories about him. This way if you tell him what you’re doing or what hers doing then at least hell know at the time what what’s bothering you.
Holly:
Zachary is really upset. He’s shaking and he says he doest feel good and I want to know if maybe you could come over and talk to him or someone could come over and talk to him.
Michael London:
I just spoke to him
Holly:
Well obviously that didn’t do enough. Okay what is it that he’s upset and shaking about. He said that he’s really scared of Mark and that he’s really confused and he kees asking me if he’s still going to go and I’m likeI think so I mean what else am I supposed to say and hat he’s telling me that he’s not going anymore. I told him to call you to work it out with you and then he gets off the phone he slammed the phone down on you he gets off the phone and he said a couple of swears. I don’t tollerate swears but I’m not going to jump on this kids back. You know this has been going on for a long time. I’ve been pleading to you people to do some investigation or to listen or something. When he calls you he’s opening up to you. He doesn’t trust you very much to start with and he just gets slammed again I mean if you’re not going to listen to him what are we going to do?
Michael:
Can I ask you a question Holly Ann what makes you think I didn’t listen to him? Why do you, how can you how can you possibly say that? You were not part of the conversation.
Holly:
Because, okay well then. he feels like you didn’t listen to him. Okay?
Michael London:
Okay
Holly:
Should I clarify everything I say and make sure its very clear?
Michael London:
Yes you should.
Holly:
My son got off the pone and said you didn’t listen to him.
Michael:
Okay well what he told me was that Mark hit him. I asked him about the incident he told me what it was about. I told him that I would talk with Mark. I would talk with Dr. Cline and my suggestion to him what, what we talked to Dr. Cline about how to handle it and I also suggested to Mark, or to Zachary that he should tell Mark you know he doesn’t tell Mark anything.
Holly:
He’s a little kid. He’s scared to death
Michael:
I will okay and okay,
Holly:
What is it his responsibility to stand up to a bully?
Michael London:
No.
Holly:
Who’s hurt him in the past? What do you expect in a situation like this? He’s a child! Why is he blamed for not standing up to Mark?.
Michael London:
Holly, Don’t holler at me.
Holly:
You’re hollering at me to!
Michael London:
Holly Ann I am not blaming Zachary for anything, not in the least. What I asked him is if, if I said if you tell Mark that he was hurting you. – NO! Did you cry when you were with him? - NO! Then I said then how would mark know that you were hurting then? Mark would have no way. I don’t know if he was playing as a dog. Maybe mark didn’t understand that he was hurting him.
Holly:
How can you knot know when you hit a child when it hurts?
Michael London:
Well
Holly:
Zachary said he stopped right away doing whatever he was doing and just sat there and was so scared and he said he didn’t even move.
Michael London:
Okay
Holly:
And he told me that you said, Why didn’t he tell him. And I said Zachary why didn’t you tell him? And he said “I was too scared.”
Michael London:
That’s right! H e told me tat he told me that he was scared and I certainly you know and at that point my feeling is that if Zachary is, is that frightened to talk to Mark that he has to work thought that with Dr. Cline. So that Dr. Cline also understands that that is one of the problems that Zachary is having is in his fear and his inability to communicate with mark. I mean from Zachary told me he’s very frightened of mark..
Holly
Look what happened on Thursday when he was frightened and read mark that letter. You people sent him with Mark two hours later, alone. Do you remember that incident? I remember it very well!... Do you know what it’s like for your child to be returned to you, come running across the field to you? He wouldn’t even wait till I got over to the parking lot. He came running across the field and started crying. For God’s sake, all these thoughts are running through my head, like Oh My God What happened? I mean this is my kids! What would you did if this was your kids? I know what that mans capable of. You people don’t believe me. You don’t believe the kids. I play Russian roulette every time they go with him.
You know everyone assured me mark wouldn’t do anything well he’s doing all these little incidents: There was a tomato incident. There was the neck, the head banging incident, Rena’s knees on Jennifer’s heads. . There’s been the arm shaking. There’s been this. Oh yeah they’re little things so I’m over reacting. Well if he’s on his best behavior and he’s still doing these little things, quote unquote, maybe he, you know there should be a little more investigation and you even admitted that Zachary’s scared. Well why is he so scared?
Michael London:
Well that’s exactly what were trying to find out. Holly, that’s exactly what were trying to find out is why?
Holly:
Yeah but you’re looking toward me. You’re looking to what I am doing to make this kid so scared.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment