A child’s death is a tragedy. Every child’s life lost is a devastating blow to their loved ones and their community. But somehow, a child who dies as a result of child abuse almost seems worse. The ripples of pain are felt even by people living far away. People who never knew the family, and had never met the child. So in the wake of 1-year-old Darryn Mann’s death, one organization is hoping to use this opportunity to raise awareness and educate the community. That way, maybe, there can be fewer instances of child abuse and child deaths in the future.
Darryn Man died as a result of violent child abuse
Darryn Joshua Abel Man was killed by his mother’s boyfriend, Brandon Mannie. Police reports show that his mother discovered him unresponsive in his bed, and ran his little body across the road to a neighbor’s house, where she called 911. Emergency responders arrived and tried to revive the baby, but tragically he never revived. Darryn was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital. It didn’t take long for police to determine that Mannie, who lived with Darryn and his mother, had been the only person alone with the boy that day.
Brandon Mannie has been charged with murder
Mannie, whose criminal history includes attempted armed robbery and parole violations, has since been charged with open murder, which is a felony. If convicted, he faces a lifetime in prison. As Emily Yeager, the president and CEO of Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Council points out, the charges are important because they send a message that child abuse won’t be tolerated. “When they bring charges on a case it helps our community realize that child abuse is taken seriously and there are consequences for it.” she says.
But none of that will bring Darryl back, or change what happened.
We can’t undo the past, but we can work to ensure that fewer children suffer the way Darryl did in the future. A child’s death is never a good thing, but good can come out of tragedy if you use that heartbreak to galvanize you. And that’s exactly what the CAN Council plans to do. “We have presentations that the CAN Council offers at no charge to anybody in our community for churches, workplaces, civic groups to learn more about abuse and what to do.” Yeager explains.
Yeager hopes this tragedy will fuel the fire in her community
In an interview with WNEM.com, Yeager explained that her hope is that this horrific and heartbreaking tragedy “ignites within us a desire to learn more about child abuse so that we can prevent this. And if we have any inkling that a child in our community is being abused make the call so that it can be investigated.”
Child abuse is real, but so are false allegations.
Many people report suspected child abuse, even when they aren’t sure, because they figure that CPS would never pursue an innocent person, or falsely accuse someone. Unfortunately that isn’t true. While we know that child abuse is a very real problem, and many children are harmed every day, we also know that many innocent people are accused of horrific crimes against children that they never committed. And the fight to prove your innocence is extremely difficult!
Get help to defend yourself right from the start!
If you’ve been accused of abusing a child, and you’re not guilty, you’re going to need a lot of help to protect yourself and your family. Call 866 766 5245 today and talk to one of our child abuse defense attorneys. We can help you defend your reputation and protect yourself against false accusations and unfounded allegations. Because this fight is serious, and you shouldn’t be trying to do it alone!