HOPE FOR THE HELPLESS

Frontiersman

WASILLA — Marcus was 8 years old when he was first abused.

His assailant was a 9-year-old classmate who repeatedly sexually assaulted Marcus in a school bathroom. Marcus’ family discovered the abuse when the boy began soiling himself. He was finally taken to a hospital for treatment by his sister, because his mother was reportedly “too busy” to take him herself. His principal, who was a mandated child abuse reporter, was also made aware of the sexual assaults. He also did nothing.

By the time Judy was entering elementary school she had already been physically and sexually abused by her step-father. By the time she was 10, she had been in more than 20 foster homes. Following treatment for depression at psychiatric hospitals, Judy locked herself into a bathroom stall at school and threatened to kill herself.

Marcus and Judy are not Mat-Su Valley residents, but their true stories shared at forthechild.org aren’t unique. Last year in the Valley, 345 cases of child abuse and neglect were confirmed, said Jamey Duhamel, outreach coordinator for the Valley’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) office, and many more likely have gone unreported.

Duhamel was one of dozens who turned out Sunday for the annual Light of Hope rally, a local gathering to build community awareness of child abuse and neglect. The highlight of the event was tying mint green ribbons — 345, one for each 2009 case — to the Wasilla High School fence at the intersection of Crusey Street and Bogard Road.

It’s for Valley children like 6-month-old Kaydence that drew Keli Wagers to Light of Hope. A Colony High School student and executive officer of her Junior ROTC battalion, Wagers said it’s easy to not think about children being abused or neglected until the worst stories hit the newspaper.

“It’s definitely something people are either not concerned with because they’re not around it, or they’re really concerned with it because it’s happening in their families,” she said.

Many children may find help, but Kaydence wasn’t so lucky. She died nearly a day after her father, Burton Naczi, violently shook the infant in November 2007. He then put the baby girl in a plastic filing drawer, then pulled her legs through an opening in the drawer and left her there. When Kaydence wouldn’t stop crying, he moved her to another spot and left her for 12 hours.

The baby died at the hospital, having suffered from hemorrhages in her eye and brain and extensive bruising to much of her body. A month earlier, the infant was hospitalized from another shaking incident. Naczi was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison for killing his daughter.

Wagers was surprised Sunday when she learned a former classmate was also a victim of child abuse. An array of photographs, called a “heart gallery” lends faces to the stigma of abuse and neglect, and one of those in the gallery was familiar.

“I’ve known people who have been in the foster care system and, in fact, one of the heart gallery people was in ROTC last year,” she said. “I knew him and had no idea.”

Examples like Kaydence are extreme, but even one child being abused or neglected is one too many, said Barbara McDaniel, president of the local National Organization for Women chapter. Promoting awareness and action is what brought her to Sunday’s rally.

“We’re interested in the welfare of families and women, and violence against anybody,” she said, “but especially violence against women, against children. In Alaska, there’s no doubt we have to do these events.”

One of the problems in fighting child abuse and neglect is that for many who aren’t exposed to the problem don’t think about it, said Sarah Kirk, a 21-year-old daughter of a CASA volunteer.

“I know there’s been a lot of neglect out in the Valley, and I’ve heard about it from people that I’ve met and their kids and the way they deal with their kids,” Kirk said. “We’re aware of how much neglect there is out in the Valley.”

Kirk’s sister, 15-year-old Ella Davis, said she knows of “a couple of friends” who have been abused. For many students, chances are they know at least one classmate who may be a victim, she said.

While dealing with such a serious issue may be too much for a child, Davis recommends children seek out adults if they have suspicions.

“I think they should confront an adult, go to a school counselor or something,” she said. “It makes me sad to know there are young people out there who don’t have a safe environment. And (many victims) think it’s normal, but I don’t think anybody deserves it.”

Community awareness is where the mint green ribbons come into play, Duhamel said. April is National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month, and throughout the month the ribbons will say on the fence at Wasilla High School.

“As long as somebody knows it’s happening, and it keeps happening, it’s not right,” Kirk said.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

CONTACT THEM

If you know of someone who is a victim of child abuse or neglect, or suspect abuse may be happening, here are local agencies that can help:

• The Children’s Place — 357-5157

• Alaska Family Services — 746-4080 or 376-4000

• LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource — 373-1200

• Mat-Su Services for Children and Adults — 352-1200

• Mat-Su Health Services Inc. — 376-2411 or 800-478-2410

• Childhelp national child abuse hotline — 800-422-4453

• Wasilla Police Department — 352-5401

• Palmer Police Department — 745-4811

• Alaska State Troopers, Palmer — 745-2131

• If it’s an emergency — 911