“In innocence there is no strength against evil,” wrote author Ursula K. Le Guin in the novel The Farthest Shore. When we happen upon a circumstance in which a child may be in danger, our sensory perceptions need to be in high gear. There must be clarity of thought, a process of deliberation followed, and all emotions set aside lest they impede the haste required of the moment.
I was working as a fraud Investigator for a government agency. Cases were assigned by geographical territory designated for each Investigator. Within your designated territory, it was not uncommon to develop a rapport with local police departments, upon which you might call for information, though I had a gold shield which gave me a rank of authority equivalent to police Captains. All I had been told was that there were questions about the validity of residence of a five year old girl.
DAY ONE:
I drove over sixty miles to get to the address of record given for this child. I knocked on the door and a man answered. There was something about him that sent hackles up my spine. He stared at me through Buddy Holly glasses, but gave no hint of emotion. He neither smiled nor frowned, something people usually did when I showed up at their door with my badge. Instincts on alert, I asked if little “Jane Doe” lived here. He answered, “Yeah,” and held the door open for me to come in.
Sweeping the living room with my eyes, I saw a woman sitting on the living room sofa and a little girl, diminutive in size for a five year old, cowering off to the corner. Her light blonde hair had been cut like a boy’s and she was wearing boy’s clothing. I asked the man if that was his daughter “Jane.” He said she was and quickly sent her upstairs to her room. I asked whether the woman was the child’s mother. He said no and that her mother was “somewhere in Florida.” I asked to see the child’s birth certificate and social security card. He didn’t have them. The man abruptly left the room.
The woman on the sofa motioned for me to come close. She lit a cigarette, held it in a shaking hand and whispered to me. She told me she was the girlfriend but was getting out of there. “He’s doing terrible things, bad things to that kid,” she said. We heard rattling in kitchen drawers. She looked startled. All I thought of was knives in the kitchen. I stood and quickly went to the door. “You need to get your daughter proper ID since she should be starting school and that’s a requirement.” He nodded. I thanked him and left.
I drove around the corner and called Headquarters. I was a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse. Procedures had to be followed. Once I had notified child protective services, I called the local police department. The Officers looked up father and found two outstanding warrants, one in my state and the other in Florida. I told them why I suspected abuse and feared he was getting ready to flee the state with this child. A plan was put in place.
DAY TWO:
The police did not want me to go back to the house alone. I advised them I had to for the child’s safety so the father would not be alerted. “Well, then we’ll have two cars parked around the corner and protective services will be there too.” My overwhelming concern was that this guy had already taken off with the child.
I went to the door and he answered. I handed him application forms for a social security card and said they might help him get the card quickly. It was a ruse, but I was able to see that both he and “Jane” were still there. I smiled, left and drove to the police waiting around the corner with protective services. I then went to my office—-and waited by the phone.
Two hours later, the police called and said they had the father in custody and the child was with protective services. “You were right,” they said. Later that day protective services called and told me the wretched conditions under which “Jane” had been living and the heinous things the father had done to her. Mother’s location was unknown but she had a history of drug abuse and incarceration. “Jane” was to be placed with a relative of good standing. It was over.
It was then that my human emotions kicked in. I was trembling. What if he had gotten away with her? Will she be all right? What kind of bastard does these things, especially to his own child? I left my office early that day. I needed to recuperate. When I returned the following morning, there was a stack of new cases on my desk to be investigated.
—cher
Tags: child abuse, child protective services, children at risk, evil, hackles, investigations, Investigator, jane doe, parents who abuse children, police, ursula k le guin
I would just hope that the rewards overpowered the saddness. Those of us that think we had it hard, I would hope realize that others had it much worse. Credit and respect to you Cher and all others who make their lives dealing with unpleasant matters that most of us do not want to even think about.
I have friends, husband and wife, both NY transit cops, they told me a story of a common occurance on the subways which made your heart stop, it is probabally worth writting up some time but I don’t know if people really want to hear tragedy in real life.
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KAK,
Sometimes in order to raise awareness, difficult subjects should be written of. It is too easy for us to remain comfortable in our personal domains without peripheral vision. So if you are considering writing such a post, I would encourage you to do that. If we open eyes, perhaps hearts will be more open as well.
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I agree that difficult subjects sould be written of. That is why I am telling my story on my blog. It is not an easy subject to write about, but for my own well-being I am doing it. It may take me a couple more chapters to get to the meat of it, because I am choosing my words carefully.
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How lucky for the little girl that she had such a dogged advocate in her corner, whether she knew it or not.
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Judie,
I have been following your story, which is compelling in the way you show your firm commitment to always move forward. I will put a link to you on our Resource page in the hopes that through the sharing you provide, others will learn valuable lessons.
Judie’s site is Rogue Artists.
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bluzdude,
So often we think “the system” fails. This was just one experiences in which I saw several government agencies work in tandem for the safety of one child. Sometimes the system works beyond our expectations. I think of this child often….
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This is a chilling story. I will never understand how parents can do anything but protect their own children. The world holds so many potential dangers throughout life, and to think that home is anything other than a safe haven for a child breaks my heart. It is wonderful that the little girl was rescued from this situation, but what a terrible start to a young life.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to have a job where you see such horrors. I’m sure it is rewarding when the outcome is good, but it has to take a toll on your psyche to see the darkest side of human beings on a regular basis.
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Tina t,
I did this for ten years. It was mostly rewarding, but the dark side was very dark and hard to shake afterward. I don’t know how law enforcement does this day after day. I remember telling my boss that the girl looked so fragile and as beautiful as a porcelain doll, yet she endured the worst this world has: betrayal and abandonment by parents.
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I’m glad this one had a better ending (happy doesn’t seem to apply here). The worst thing is that this kind of things happens to so many kids every single day, and no one is there, as you were there for “Jane.”
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Dear Chris,
The reason I wrote this post was not for self-aggrandizement, but rather in the hope that people will pay more attention to the possible horrid plights of children around them. We all say that the system is overwhelmed, and it is. But I have known many people who have extended themselves to reach out. I have also known many who turn a blind eye. Perhaps by sharing stories, fewer people will turn away. Thanks so much for stopping by.
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Good for you Cher. every child who is rescued is one that escapes the clutches of evil bastards like her father. trust me, I know.
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That was a tough post to read. Thank God that he didn’t take off with that poor child. Nicely done, Cher, nicely done.
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Having my own children, I can barely read stories like this. How can people do these kinds of things!!? I understand that many people who abuse children, were abused as children themselves, but at some point we all must take responsibility for our own actions.
I don’t know how you did it, but thank god you did.
How did you keep it together, case after case?
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RE,
One child, one life at a time, seems too little to me. Sometimes I wish there were armies out there with enough radar to rid each of those who victimize children from our society.
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VH,
You know, I was given an award from the agency for this “rescue.” It came at a surprise ceremony at Headquarters. I guess I should have felt happy, but I went home, put the award in my desk and sobbed. There are so many, many more children. I was at the right place, at the right time. That’s all.
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One of The Guys,
One of the ways I handled it was to leave the agency. The people for whom I worked were amazing and supportive. But the darkness became overwhelming. I burned out and left within the following year.
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That was really a gut wrenching story, Cher. I’m so glad you could intervene, but the situation you broke up made me sick to my stomach. What the h___ is the matter with people? How could they?
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WillOaksStudio,
Karen, I will never understand people like this. The world can be so dark. Can you imagine that poor girl? We just need to somehow raise awareness and be more proactive in protecting the innocents.
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Wow, Cher. What a story. As some of the others have already said, how lucky she was to have someone come to her door who wasn’t just a paper-pusher or clock-puncher, but who put two and two together and went the extra mile. If only Jaycee Lee Dugard had someone do that for her during those 18 years.
Thanks for shining a light into the darkness for 10 years. I know you still feel for those who are still there, but thanks to you, there are some who are not there any longer.
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Bagger,
Thank you for your touching sentiments. I guess I have resolved that this was more divine intervention than anything I did. The timing of my getting this case when I did was set in motion by a power much higher than me. As to Jaycee Lee Dugard, people, neighbors, had to know something was amiss there. Too often we fail to use peripheral vision, yet gawk at roadside accidents as we move along and complain of the traffic jam.
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