February 11, 2006

"You took my childhood."

Said Bruce Jackson to his adoptive mother Vanessa Jackson at her sentencing hearing, where Vanessa faced the four sons she had starved, including Bruce, who, when he was taken from her at age 19, had weighed only 45 pounds. In the last 27 months, he has gained 95 pounds and grown 15 inches. He is now 5'3" tall.

9 comments:

Meade said...

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Thoroughly disturbing.

Ann Althouse said...

I'm sure there are people who looked at the photograph of the emaciated boy and saw something of their ideal of beauty, something of the aura of the faces of models and actresses.

knox said...

Looks like the abusive mother didn't have any trouble getting enough food. I can't believe she's only getting seven years.

Unknown said...

Yeah, Dave, it is. It's amazing that they did not die during this reign of terror. How could a child weight 23 pounds and still live??

It's not unusual for an abuser to pick out only certain children for abuse and foster parents say food hoarding is really common in kids they get from abusive homes.

(I think google ads just appear based on key words, don't they?)

reader_iam said...

From the article:

The Rev. Harry L. Thomas, the pastor of the Medford, N.J., church that the family attended and who has remained steadfast in his support of Ms. Jackson, also testified for her.

"I've known these people as very loving people," Mr. Thomas told the court, "people who have a heart for children and they have a heart for God."


SHAME ON HIM!

That's damn near blasphemy, as far as I'm concerned.

I am literally so nauseated it's making me gag.

reader_iam said...

Sometimes I wish I WEREN'T the type to follow links and "read the whole thing."

Ruth Anne Adams said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jennifer said...

It wasn't until I had my own children that I realized how truly evil child abusers are. Kids are so helpless and their universe so small.

I can't believe she only got 7 years.

Freeman Hunt said...

Reading that I kind of wish that Bruce Jackson was younger and still had the chance to be adopted into a family and experience real parental love.

As others have said: unspeakably evil. The woman should get life not seven years.