Thank You For Finding Me - The Press Conference

Now that "Madison" has been located, positively identified by authorities, and is deemed to be in a safe environment, I know we are all breathing a sigh of relief.

Not knowing the child did not lessen the sick "not knowing" feeling we have all jointly experienced this week since learning of her abuse via the now infamous videotape.

I stayed up last night to watch the press conference held by the authorities involved in the case.  To say they were happy is an understatement.  Make no mistake, their smiles and enthusiasm for locating the child were still tempered by the personal, first hand, we've-actually-viewed-the-video-and-will-be-heartsick-for-life reality of their mission, but it was one of the more upbeat police reports I have ever witnessed.

Officer Boruchowitz, the investigator who appeared on The Early Show this week to first publicize Madison's case, show her photos, and urge the public to help, all but beamed when speaking of getting the call that she had been located.

He is a baby faced, yet well spoken young man, and is to be commended for maintaining his professionalism, drive, and focus during what can only be described as a gut wrenching investigation.

While the details they could provide were minimal, as they always are in these type of delicate cases and early investigations which will hopefully lead to a successful apprehension and prosecution of the criminal, there were enough to make me stumble through a valley of questions as I tried to drift off to sleep last night.

The biggest being this:  According to police, the child is now 7, the abuse having occurred FOUR YEARS AGO.

Do the sickening math.

As a mother, I simply cannot understand any circumstances where my three year old could have been repeatedly raped, that I would not discover any signs of the abuse on her body.  A THREE YEAR OLD.   A three year old doesn't bathe herself.  A three year old likely doesn't potty by herself, or wipe by herself.

A three year old is very likely to say something like, "My pee pee hurts."

Authorities have stated that she shows very little emotion during the repeated rapes on the video, leading them to believe the experience was something she had been tortured with previously.

I desperately don't wish to find out that the parents of this child were aware of what was happening to her, but again, I cannot help but keep coming back to this question in my mind.

Another is, this man, Stiles, is described by authorities as a "several tiered friend" of the family - presumably as in acquaintance of an acquaintance of a relative.  What are the circumstances that she would ever have been left alone with someone like this?

Finally, I keep wondering where this piece of filth is hiding.

Surely, there cannot be anyone, upstanding citizen or criminal, who is willing to protect and harbor him.  (Yes, I know, I know - Linda, you are so naive...) His crimes are hideous, monstrous, deviant, reprehensible, horrific, and so odious that were he to be caught and placed in the general population of any prison, a life sentence would quickly be transformed to a brutal death sentence.

Even among hardened criminals, there is an honor code - and it does not allow for the abuse of children.

Per the authorities' request to the media, I will be removing the child's photo from the blog.  She has been found, they say she seems like any other happy 7 year old - which I pray is true.  I honestly don't remember anything from when I was three, so hopefully she will be gifted with that same distance as the years pass. 

Then again, the things I can't remember involve building castles in my sand box, chasing butterflies, and playing hide-n-seek with my siblings.

Comments

[JenniferBrown]

Thank God she's been found.

I honestly don't know how it's possible that she's a normal, happy 7-year old. Not only because of the abuse, but also because of the OBVIOUS lack of parental care she's had over her lifetime. I don't see how it would be possible to be an active, loving parent and not know that this was going on with your 3-year old. Either didn't care or didn't pay enough attention to find out. Either way...reprehensible. That makes him, in my opinion, not the only monster in this situation.

Thanks for spreading the word.

[Paula]

I had all these same thoughts last night Linda as I was lying in bed (not able to fall asleep over this). How could the parents not know that this happened to their little girl? I only hope and pray that they are not involved and that Madison is safe right now. Such sickness in this world...

Paula