Conversion therapy, also sometimes known as “reparative therapy” refers to the attempts to cure or reverse the gender identity or sexual orientation of a minor. The practice is usually promoted as part of a religious or faith-based approach to dealing with homosexuality and gender identity issues. Conversion therapy is very controversial, in part because…
For many, the term “abuse” is synonymous with child abuse and domestic violence of a partner. What often doesn’t come to mind right away is another, less commonly discussed form – abuse of the elderly and vulnerable adults. However, while this form of abuse gets very little press, it is apparently a growing problem…
Every now and again an abuse case appears in the news that seems to be so severe, so horrifying, that it captures the public’s imagination and inflames the media. Right now in Alabama there seems to be a case that fits that description perfectly, with tales of a malnourished teenager who was locked in…
In our previous article on recognizing the signs of child abuse, we talked about two of the four forms of abuse that we hope to cover here, namely emotional and physical abuse. In this second installment we plan to discuss both sexual and mental/psychological abuse. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are different types of…
It may seem strange that attorneys whose practice focuses in part on defending those accused of child abuse would share an article on the signs of child abuse. But in actual fact, there’s nothing strange about it at all. Child abuse is a very real problem, and while we are attorneys, we are all…
Daveeta Walker, the young Kalamazoo mother convicted of torturing and abusing her young daughter to death, has been sentenced to life in prison. Court records show that in addition to the criminal charges, there is currently an abuse and neglect case pending against her in the Family Division of Kalamazoo County Circuit Court. …
Thank you for joining us in this difficult but necessary discussion. In this two part series on avoiding abuse and false accusations, we are looking at ways that a parent can minimize the opportunity for their children to be harmed, while also working to keep themselves safe from false allegations of abuse. It’s a…
As defense attorneys we deal with a lot of clients who have been falsely accused of abusing a child. However, we also see a great deal of the flip side of that coin – parents whose children actually have been abused, and it’s not a pretty situation. So we would like to take a…
23-year-old Christopher Scott Olinger and 27-year-old Asia Markham have both been charged in connection with the death of Markham’s daughter, 16-month-old Amiena Markham. Law enforcement says the child died as a result of blunt force trauma to the chest at a home on Commor Ave in Hamtramck, Michigan. According to police records, emergency…
According to Veronica Peoples, a mother from Pontiac, Michigan, her 6-year-old daughter was physically abused by a substitute teacher in class. Peoples has made the story public, although the investigation is still ongoing and no charges have been brought. The alleged incident took place at the Pontiac Academy for Excellence. Apparently the…