Cleveland Kidnapping Case Grim Reminder of Dangers to Our Children

Like everyone else in the country, I was completely stunned by the reports out of Cleveland which detailed the kidnappings of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight.   They were held captive and treated brutally for more than a decade before they finally escaped the home of a man named Ariel Castro.

Three innocent young women who suddenly vanished and were subjected to unthinkable sexual abuse. And all the while, their parents were left to believe they were probably dead and that they would never be able to see them again.

As a relatively new parent myself, I can certainly understand how it’s a parent’s worst nightmare to have a child simply vanish. Then, of course, there was the flip side to the Cleveland case - the pure joy those same parents experienced in finding out after 10 agonizing years that their children were still alive.

Really, there’s no way any of us can fully understand the complete roller coaster of emotions that those parents and those young victims have gone through. However, despite the disgusting nature of this entire case, at the very least we learned that there is hope for others who have missing children as well.  Perhaps they, too, are alive and there is a chance that one day they will be reunited with their parents.

Once again, we have a case that puts the spotlight on the need we all have to protect our children from sexual predators.  What’s important to note when you look at the allegations of how these young women were taken is how the times have changed over the past 10 years since the abductions took place.  The role of Internet technology continues to grow in relationship to this type of crime.

Every day we see how predators use social media and the Internet to prey on children who may not know what they are doing or are too naive to know when they are putting themselves into a dangerous position in how they use social media or send a picture with their mobile device.

Parents, cases like these are a good reminder to pay attention to how your child uses his or her computer, camera and mobile devices.  What kinds of pictures are they taking? To whom are they sending photos?  What kinds of messages are they posting on Facebook?  Might they be unwittingly leaving themselves open as a target for exploitation?

We live in a day and age when people, especially young kids, also need to pay heightened attention to their physical surroundings and do the best they can to protect themselves. Certainly, there’s no 100 percent guaranteed way to prevent this type of crime from happening.  However, being aware of your surroundings can pay big dividends.  For example, if you’re leaving your place of work late at night, don’t walk to your car alone.  If possible, have a few other people with you until you are safely in your car and on your way. 

The Cleveland kidnappings are just another painful reminder of how twisted some people in today’s society really are.  The case should also be a big, red warning flag to keep these menaces away from our children.

About Attorney Mark Powers
Attorney Mark Powers is a partner at the criminal defense law firm of Huppertz & Powers, S.C. in Waukesha. Previously, Powers served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Waukesha County District Attorney's office and is currently serving as a municipal judge in North Prairie. He focuses in the area of criminal defense, and has handled many cases involving operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, domestic disputes, and drug offenses.

Powers attended Valparaiso University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate. Prior to law school, Mark attended the University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse where he received his bachelor of science in Political Science.

For more information, please call 262.549.5979 or visit www.waukeshacriminalattorneys.com.