Don’t turn away from child abuse

It’s difficult to reconcile the photograph of a sweet-faced, smiling Talia Williams with the brutal reality of her short life. The depravity this child suffered is painful to comprehend, as the details of her merci- less existence are reported from court each day. It’s much easier to change the channel on the TV news, or to flip the page of the newspaper, than to look at that little girl’s picture and wonder anew: How could this happen?

But we must not look away. When people look away, children die.

That is one of the lasting lessons from the case of Talia Williams, who was 5 years old when she was killed at her Wheeler Army Airfield home on July 16, 2005. Her stepmother, who got 20 years in prison on a plea bargain, testified to Talia’s relentlessly cruel environment and admitted her part in the violence, describing how Talia was systematically stomped, beaten, tied up with duct tape and otherwise abused. Talia’s father, a former Schofield Barracks soldier who is now on trial and faces the death penalty if convicted, is accused of administering the fatal blow.

That more than one person noticed the developmentally disabled child’s trauma and reported it, all for naught, should be a source of shame for the military authorities here. Employees at Talia’s child-care facility reported suspicious injuries, but the doctor who examined her dismissed them. At least one neighbor summoned military police because of the constant screams emanating from the Williams’ house.

Talia Williams could have been saved. That sad fact does not make her killers any less culpable, but it does highlight how important it is for everyone to step up to prevent child abuse, and how persistent advocates must be.

"If you think a child is being abused and you report it once and nothing is done, report it again. Call a different agency. Call the police. Tell someone. I think everyone should do something. I know in Hawaii we tend not to want to get involved, but we should get involved," said Aileen Deese, executive director of the nonprofit Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii.

In Hawaii during the last fiscal year, 1,361 reports of child abuse and neglect were confirmed, five of them fatal, according to the state Department of Human Services Databook 2014. Many other suspected cases go unreported, advocates say, because people worry they may be overreacting, are wary of intruding in other people’s business, or simply don’t want to get involved. However, when a child’s life may be at stake, it’s better to err on the side of overreaction than an underreaction that leaves a young boy or girl at risk.

As Child Abuse Prevention Month gets underway in April, Deese and other advocates offer meaningful tips to help parents care for their children properly, and recognize the warning signs that normal frustration may be veering into verbal or physical abuse, and advice about what to do if you suspect any child is being neglected or abused. Find more information at www.preventchildabusehawaii.org and www.hawaiiparents.org.

The most important thing is to report suspected abuse and neglect, and to report it more than once, if that’s what it takes. The phone number for the 24-hour hotline on Oahu is 832-5300, while neighbor islanders may call (800) 494-3991.

Keeping Hawaii’s children safe is a community responsibility, not just this month, but always. Speaking up could make all the difference.