Four women arrested after police found a 3-year-old boy who was 'two days from death'

The legal guardian of a three-year-old boy, his mother, stepfather, and two other women were arrested and charged with neglect of a dependent with serious bodily injuries.

In March this year, the police found the boy, whose name was not revealed for protection, severely injured and “two days” away from passing away after his mother, 24-year-old Rune Springer, reported the abuse.

According to People, Jammy Stacy, 41, was the child’s legal guardian as Springer allegedly signed guardianship of him over her in 2017 claiming that she could not afford to care for the boy.

Nappanee police detective Nik Havert revealed that Stacy was the alleged responsible for the injuries as she beat him several times in the months before he was taken to the hospital. For that reason, Stacy was taken to prison.

ALL PEOPLE CHARGED

The rest of the people charged – Springer, Annette Priestly (Stacy’s 59-year-old mother), Fayette Robinette (Stacy’s aunt), and Travis Tillotson (Spring’s husband) – faced the justice because they had several opportunities to report the abuse but chose not to do it.

Stacy allegedly had told Springer and Tillotson that the boy went to a doctor and he was “in good health.” Springer, however, realized that it couldn’t be true due to how injured the boy looked. Read more on our Twitter account, @amomama_usa.

NOT TAKING THE BOY TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY

Stacy then told Springer that if she called the police, both of them would end up in jail for child abuse. The boy’s mother then went on to wait a day and a half before calling the police.

A quick medical examination set clear that he was severely injured in different places. Most of the arrests took place in March, but Priestly, Stacy’s mother, was charged in mid-October.

THE OUTCOME

People added that all of them were released on bail and that the boy has got several surgeries and physical therapy to help him recover from the terrible injuries. Havert pointed out that there is a silver lining to the story as the boy’s new foster mother has been showering him with love.

“He’s night and day from when we got the first call, and it’s because he’s got a great foster mother. I saw him recently - they had a birthday party for him at a church - and I didn’t even recognize him when I walked in. He had put on weight and was being extremely active,” said Havert.

OTHER CONSEQUENCES

Apart from the obvious physical consequences that such abuse causes on children, a recent study suggests that they are very likely to suffer mental health problems, too, including anxiety, depression, and substance abuse problems.

If that wasn’t bad enough, beating children transmit the message that hitting people who are smaller and weaker than them is an acceptable way to get what they want from others.