BACK PEW: How many children will it take?

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

It has happened again. 

As reported by Leslie Rubin & Anna Saunders of WCHSTV, a child wearing handcuffs showed up at a neighbor’s house in Charleston this past Sunday night alleging she’d been abused at home. Her mother was arrested. Since, it’s been reported that the child and two other teenagers in the home are being homeschooled. 

Earlier this year, Kynneddi Miller, a 14-year old girl from Boone County, was found dead and in a “skeletal state” inside her home. Her mother and grandparents have been charged with felony neglect. She’d been homeschooled since 2019, and, according to reporting, had little connection to the world outside her home.

State political leaders promised to make changes. 

Senate President Craig Blair put out a press release saying, “As Legislators, we have an obligation to protect our most vulnerable citizens, especially our children…We must act quickly to ensure that something of this magnitude doesn’t happen again.”

Governor Jim Justice similarly said in a press conference, “We are in discussion with the Legislature, and we’ll be in discussion with the Legislature and if need be, you know, if need be just for this, I would call, I would call a special session just for this. I mean, just because, this is not fair. I mean this is so monumental that it’s off the charts.” 

What actions will the Senate take? What has been the outcome of talks between the governor’s office and the legislature? 

With nothing shared publicly, we the people are left to feel as though the words of state leaders are mere platitudes. 

Which isn’t surprising. This has been happening for far too long. As I wrote in June, “The hard truth–that no one wants to hear, let alone say–is that this isn’t the first time such an awful thing has happened.” 

It’s been happening for many years. After four children were murdered in the district I served in 2020, I fought for two years to change the system that miserably failed those children. And at every turn, the powers-that-be maintained the status quo. 

Earlier this year, the Senate killed a bill which passed the House of Delegates named in honor of Raylee Browning, a child from Nicholas County who died the day after Christmas in 2018. She was sick, and her parents failed to get her any medical attention. They are now in prison. Numerous calls to CPS about Raylee went unanswered. 

Gov. Justice says he will call legislators into special session next week. What’s on the agenda? Tax cuts, supplemental appropriations, and perhaps a child tax care credit. 

If there is a special session next week, I pray child safety will be part of it. Nothing is more important, undoubtedly. Nothing is more needed, unfortunately. 

If not now, when? How many children will it take to act?

We failed to act after Williamsburg. We failed to act after Kyneddi. We mustn’t fail again now.  

Author’s note: If you observe abuse, call the Child Abuse Hotline at 800-352-6513 or call 9-1-1 if it’s an emergency situation.