13-yr-old takes her own life after being raped, writes a letter to warn others

This article in Newsner is heartbreaking. If you don't think sexual predators exist, you have to read this. The rape was instigated and arranged by schoolmates--girls who bullied her mercilessly. So important to gather the courage to report sexual crimes as so many have with the #metoo hash tag and other reports. If any definitive action had been taken to defend this poor little girl her life might have been saved.

TRACI TREVAN ABOUT A YEAR AGO

CHERYL AND ROB WERE ON CRIME WATCH WITH CHRIS HANSEN

I AM SO PROUD OF CHERYL AND ROB CUCCIO FOR HAVING THE COURAGE TO TELL THEIR STORY AND HELP SO MANY PEOPLE! Morgan St. James

We aspired to send a message of hope and awareness about child abuse when we got together to co-author their book, INCEST, MURDER AND A MIRACLE. Since that time due to their media appearances and the book so many people have contacted Cheryl with their stories. Let us also not forget that Rob is a miracle and owes his life today to Cheryl. How many people have you ever seen come back from being dead 43 minutes (verified)? It happened in 2012 and Cheryl would not let the doctors give up on him after he was pronounced dead! Chris Hansen is one of the first who has actually added that part to the amazing story of the Cuccios. Many thanks to Chris Hansen and his staff. Visit www.incestmurderandamiracle.com for more.

THIS SAYS IT ALL

IN THE MEDIA AGAIN - THIS TIME ACROSS THE POND -THE SUN UK

TO READ THE FULL STORY: http://bit.ly/SunUKarticle

ANOTHER AWARD FOR INCEST, MURDER AND A MIRACLE

We are honored to have been chosen as a SEMI FINALIST in the KINDLE BOOK AWARDS. Our book has now received two awards and continues to help abuse victims and raise awareness internationally not only of abuse, but that victims do not have to be defined by the horrible things that have happened to them. Cheryl and Rob are excellent examples of that. 

ARTICLE REGARDING ABUSE RECEIVED VIA THIS BLOG

COMMENT from MORGAN ST. JAMES: The following article was received via the contact form on this blog. It presents the view of many abused children becoming abusers themselves and I am sure has some basis in case studies. 

It serves to explain why some abuse victims become abusers, and I do agree that the crime of abuse is still widely ignored. Unfortunately, to this day those who observe signs of abuse frequently fail to report anything. As an example, during Cheryl's hearing, at least 20 people acknowledged that they had reason to suspect abuse, but no one came forward to help her.

While becoming an abuser because of their own abuse may be true in some cases, it definitely is not in all cases. Cheryl Cuccio is a perfect example of the opposite. Her mission in life is to help victims and promote awareness and prevention of abuse. This is also true for 3 other abuse victims whose memoirs I helped write, and many victims who read these books write to Cheryl and Bella Capo with their stories. Most have also expressed the same desires--to help others and promote awareness and prevention. 

In my opinion, one should look at all sides of an issue before accepting information that applies to only one portion of it as a conclusion. I wish this article would have also addressed the caring about others and determination to help prevent abuse that frequently is found in abuse victims--in other words, present both sides of the coin instead of a singular view. 

One more thing must be added. Various media stories claim that Sean Pica knew of Cheryl's abuse and ongoing rape by her father when he agreed to kill him. That is not true according to Cheryl and Rob both. The only person who knew about it was Rob, and it took her a very long time to admit it to him.

This is the article for which a link was provided on the contact form:

 Child Mistreatment, Child Abuse

What is it?

Humiliations, spankings and beatings, slaps in the face, betrayal, sexual exploitation, derision, neglect, etc. are all forms of mistreatment, because they injure the integrity and dignity of a child, even if their consequences are not visible right away. However, as adults, most abused children will suffer, and let others suffer, from these injuries. This dynamic of violence can deform some victims into hangmen who take revenge even on whole nations and become willing executors to dictators as unutterably appalling as Hitler and other cruel leaders. Beaten children very early on assimilate the violence they endured, which they may glorify and apply later as parents, in believing that they deserved the punishment and were beaten out of love. They don’t know that the only reason for the punishments they have ( or in retrospect, had) to endure is the fact that their parents themselves endured and learned violence without being able to question it. Later, the adults, once abused children, beat their own children and often feel grateful to their parents who mistreated them when they were small and defenseless.

This is why society’s ignorance remains so immovable and parents continue to produce severe pain and destructivity – in all “good will”, in every generation. Most people tolerate this blindly because the origins of human violence in childhood have been and are still being ignored worldwide. Almost all small children are smacked during the first three years of life when they begin to walk and to touch objects which may not be touched. This happens at exactly the time when the human brain builds up its structure and should thus learn kindness, truthfulness, and love but never, never cruelty and lies. Fortunately, there are many mistreated children who find “helping witnesses” and can feel loved by them.

CHERYL AND ROB ON INSIDE EDITION

Watch the video

http://ietv.co/2wqHLJB


Thank you to INSIDE EDITION for having us on the show. The more people who see, read or hear our message, the more people we hope to help.

You do not have to be defined by bad things that happened. Rise above it and reach out to help others.

Writers Tricks of the Trade VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3

Writers Tricks of the Trade VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3

LEARN ABOUT CHILD ABUSE AND RESOURCES FOR AWARENESS AND PREVENTION

VISIT THIS WEBSITE   

Child abuse is doing something or failing to do something that results in harm to a child or puts a child at risk of harm. Child abuse can be physical, sexual or emotional. Neglect, or not providing for a child's needs, is also a form of abuse.

Most abused children suffer greater emotional than physical damage. An abused child may become depressed. He or she may withdraw, think of suicide or become violent. An older child may use drugs or alcohol, try to run away or abuse others.

Child abuse is a serious problem. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the police or your local child welfare agency.

Flight attendant sees "help me" written in aircraft toilet, promptly urges pilot to call the police

BY NEWSNER 13 JULY 2017
For many of us, planes symbolize one thing: vacation. Indeed, the mood on airplanes can be quite jovial, with so many traveling to and from vacation spots and allowing their worries to wash away.

Shelia Frederick is a flight attendant for Alaskan Airlines. But one day, while on a routine flight to San Francisco, USA, something caught her eye.

   A well-dressed man sat next to a young, blonde girl who was wearing shabby looking clothes. She looked up when Shelia passed by, and when she did, Shelia felt that the girl's eyes were drilling straight into her soul.

When Shelia tried to talk to the man, he was immediately unpleasant. She immediately felt something was wrong, and went to the airplane toilet where she left a piece of paper and a pen.

As she walked past the girl again, she signaled for her to go to the bathroom.

   The girl followed Shelia's instructions, and when Shelia returned to the toilet, she found devastating words on the scrap of paper: "Help me", it said. 

Shelia went straight to the pilot who helped summon the police to meet them upon landing in San Francisco, according to the Independent.

   As it turns out, the girl was a victim of human trafficking and had been kidnapped two months earlier.

Shelia's encounter and saving of the young victim occured in 2011, when the girl was about 14-years-old. Following the incident, Shelia became a member of Airline Ambassadors International, an organization launched in 2009 by former flight attendant Nancy Rivard to help flight attendants get better training in detecting victims of human trafficking.

   Members of the organization are now working with the US Customs and Border Police to counter human traffic.

Flight attendants can be much better equipped to deal with these kinds of incidents if they're paying attention to the right warning signs, Nancy explains.

   A few weeks after the incident, Shelia received a phone call – it was the young girl she had saved. "Thank you for saving my life," the girl told her.

   The girl had been reunited with her parents and was undergoing therapy to process through her difficult experience.

Shelia and the girl are still in touch.

   The UN estimates that about 1.2 million children are victims of trafficking each year. Human trafficking is the third largest criminal activity in the world, after drugs and arms.

Both girls and boys are sexually exploited, for instance, as cheap labor or soldiers, for adoption or are forced to commit theft, beg or traffic drugs - and things that we can never accept.

Child Abuse Can End in Death as it Did in Wisconsin

Most of us lead a life free from this kind of heartbreak--the loss of an innocent little child's life because of abuse. This is why awareness is so essential for prevention. Those who are abused but escape this fate might live with PTSD their whole lives, but they live. Those who do not, suffer the fate of the child in the article below. And it isn't just children who are victims. 

Cheryl and Rob Cuccio wrote their book Incest, Murder and a Miracle to bring Cheryl's own abuse, and resulting desperate measures, into the open in order to encourage victims to be victors. She survived and went on to lead an exemplary life despite lifelong PTSD. Rob, who survived dying for 43 minutes in 2012, has been at her side from the time she was only fifteen. Their love has survived every challenge thrown at them by life.




WISCONSIN MAN ARRESTED IN TODDLER’S ALLEGED BEATING  DEATH: ‘WORST CASE OF CHILD ABUSE’ EVER SEEN

JUNE 7, 2017
BY HARRIET SOKMENSUER•@HGSOKMENSUER

A Wisconsin man is accused of killing his girlfriend’s 16-month-old daughter in what police have called “the worst case of child abuse [we] have ever seen.”

Juan J. Maravilla, 30, was charged with first degree reckless homicide and child abuse after the girl’s mother brought her bruised body to a Green Bay-area hospital on May 25 after she had died, Green Bay police tell PEOPLE.

Hospital staff ordered an autopsy immediately, and the “results revealed the toddler’s death was not the result of one act of abuse but repeated abuse over an extended period of time,” Cpt. Kevin Warych of the Green Bay Police Department alleges to PEOPLE. Warych adds, “This is possibly the worst case of child abuse [we] have ever seen.”

Between the time of the girl’s death and her autopsy report, Maravilla was jailed for an unspecified alleged probation violation, Warych says. Jail records do not indicate the specifics of the alleged violation or the underlying offense.
CLICK FOR FULL STORY SEEN ON PEOPLE CRIME

Child Abuse and Neglect

How to Spot the Signs and Make a Difference

Child abuse is more than bruises and broken bones. While physical abuse might be the most visible, other types of abuse, such as emotional abuse and neglect, also leave deep, lasting scars. The earlier abused children get help, the greater chance they have to heal and break the cycle—rather than perpetuate it. By learning about common signs of abuse and what you can do to intervene, you can make a huge difference in a child’s life.

Understanding child abuse and neglect

Child abuse isn’t just about black eyes. While physical abuse is shocking due to the marks it leaves, not all child abuse is as obvious. Ignoring children’s needs, putting them in unsupervised, dangerous situations, or making a child feel worthless or stupid are also child abuse. Regardless of the type of child abuse, the result is serious emotional harm. But there is help available. If you suspect a child is being abused, it’s important to speak out. By catching the problem as early as possible, both the child and the abuser can get the help they need.

Myths About Child Abuse and Neglect

Myth: It's only abuse if it's violent.

Fact: Physical abuse is just one type of child abuse. Neglect and emotional abuse can be just as damaging, and since they are more subtle, others are less likely to intervene.

Myth: Only bad people abuse their children.

Fact: Not all abusers are intentionally harming their children. Many have been victims of abuse themselves, and don’t know any other way to parent. Others may be struggling with mental health issues or a substance abuse problem.

Myth: Child abuse doesn't happen in “good” families.

Fact: Child abuse doesn't only happen in poor families or bad neighborhoods. It crosses all racial, economic, and cultural lines. Sometimes, families who seem to have it all from the outside are hiding a different story behind closed doors.

Read Full Article - Make a Difference

A WONDERFUL NEW 5 STAR REVIEW

Another wonderful 5 STAR REVIEW for Incest, Murder and a Miracle from Readers Favorite. https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/incest-murder-and-a-miracle. This reviewer has literally "walked the walk" as a victim/survivor herself and has reviewed the book from the heart. You should read this one, and then get the book. You will be seeing a lot more of Cheryl and Rob Cuccio on TV and in print as they are back in the public eye advocating abuse awareness and prevention after 30 years of silence! Available in paperback, Kindle and Nook at most online sites.

BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

It’s rare for me to review a book subjectively, but in the case of Incest, Murder and a Miracle by Cheryl Cuccio, Robert Cuccio, and Morgan St. James, I felt I had no choice. For starters, details, many of which were inaccurate, about the young teen, Cheryl, who paid to have her father murdered after he sexually abused her from ages 11-15 were blasted over every media channel available at the time. I remember the case well and perhaps readers will too. Secondly, like Cheryl, I also was a victim of incest for many years during my teens. But unlike Cheryl, my ugly secret never made headlines because like most victims of incest, I kept the deadly silence that seals such ugly family secrets, sometimes forever, and lets the public continue to believe situations like Cheryl’s are rare, when nothing could be further from the truth. I waited until I was 65 to write my memoir.

So, with that in mind, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to review Incest, Murder and a Miracle, Cheryl and Rob Cuccio’s effort to set the record straight and spell out the truth behind Cheryl’s father’s murder. Incest, Murder and a Miracle is a plea for understanding from the majority who choose to support abusers and condemn the abused. How well victims understand Cheryl’s motivations! We have lived her hell and know how desperately one wants the abuse to end. Victims reach the point of no longer caring what becomes of them; they cannot think clearly beyond just wanting the abuse to stop and to hell with the consequences. And anyone who hasn’t faced repeated rape by a father can understand Cheryl’s desperation. I certainly can, and as a result, applaud her efforts to tell her true story with the help of her husband Rob and author, Morgan St. James. 

But there’s more to the book, Incest, Murder and a Miracle than just Cheryl’s story of the incest and subsequent murder. There’s a Part Two, as it were, that tells the fascinating true story of Rob Cuccio dying from a heart attack and coming back to life 45 minutes later. Yes, you read that correctly.That coming back to life was a miracle. But so was Cheryl’s incredible strength in being able to carry herself and their children through this medical trauma, that led to a malpractice lawsuit against her husband’s physician. Where did Cheryl find such strength after all she’d lived through, including imprisonment?

Cheryl Cuccio found her seemingly bottomless strength, as so many victims who survive sexual abuse do, in the struggles she’s had to overcome. Some victims succumb to alcohol, drugs, prostitution or end up in prison. Others, like Cheryl and myself, fortunate enough to find supportive husbands to love and lean on, are able to take control of their futures instead of being controlled by their pasts. All the adages apply to Cheryl’s story of Incest, Murder and a Miracle: the strong will to survive; when the going gets tough, the tough get going; in struggling we find our true strengths. Incest, Murder and a Miracle will speak to all victim/survivors of sexual abuse and encourage them to speak up, to believe there are some good, caring people in our world and that we too can have a happy ending to our sad stories. Well done, Cheryl, Rob and Morgan. Great to see another book shedding light where there is too much denial and darkness.

PEOPLE MAGAZINE - APRIL 24, 207

This is just part of the shocking but inspirational story. For the full story, and the life-changing events that made Cheryl know she had become a strong, independent woman  capable of making critical decisions, check out the book. Available in paperback, Kindle and ePub at your favorite online bookseller. Watch for much more media about this incredible couple. If you have read the book, please post a review. They are so important to us.

PEOPLE MAGAZINE STORY

Cheryl and Rob Cuccio

The April 24 issue of PEOPLE MAGAZINE tells our story. Look for "The Cheerleader and the Hit Man."

It has taken a long time since the project was green-lighted, but we are grateful to reporter Caitlin Keating and PEOPLE MAGAZINE for helping to spread the message that "You are not alone, and you do not have to be defined by bad things that happen to you."

Visit @CherylCuccio at Facebook and www.incestmurderandamiracle.com

Our book is available at most online booksellers in paperback, Kindle and ePub.

The more people who know our story, the more people we can help.

Every year more than 3 MILLION reports of child abuse are reported in the U.S. alone. That's not to say how many go unreported!  PLEASE speak up for children who can not yet speak up for themselves.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY IN THE COURTS

This was posted by Jakki Pransky today. She lives in England. Domestic violence is an international problem and too frequently the abuser does not get punished sufficiently due to the lack of understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence. This petition began with the signature of the 1 person who initiated it. There are now over 56,000 signatures! Intelligence and/or a network of friends does not protect a woman or man from an abuser.

Jakki said:

The comment asks why am I signing this petition. Does that question even need to be asked? My god, that in itself is a tragedy.

Last night Manchester Crown Court’s Judge Richard Mansell ruled that he would not jail Mustafa Bashir, a man who made his wife drink bleach and, at one point, struck her over her back with a cricket bat saying: "If I hit you with this bat with my full power then you would be dead." Judge Mansell concluded she was not vulnerable enough because she was "an intelligent woman with a network of friends" and a university degree.

The Judge handed out a suspended sentence of 18 months - a punishment which is not enforced unless a further crime is committed during a specified period. What message does this send out to perpetrators of domestic abuse?

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Anybody that would like to join us we would love to see you there. We will be doing about a 40 minute speaking and answering any questions afterwards followed by a book signing. Would love to see you.

PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE ON GOODREADS

Please visit Goodreads and cast your vote for INCEST, MURDER AND A MIRACLE for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2017. We receive comments almost every day from people who have been inspired by it, people who are so touched by the true story of this amazing couple. Paperback, Kindle and eBook.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/105534.Goodreads_Choice_Awards_2017 

GOODREADS.COM

MAN ARRESTED 10 YEARS AFTER

BREAKING: Royal Palm man facing incest, rape charges 10 years later

• Olivia Hitchcock
  Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

8:26 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017  Western Palm Beach County

THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY VICTIMS MUST NOT BE TREATED AS THE OFFENDER. THIS WOMAN WAS SILENT FOR 10 YEARS BECAUSE AS A CHILD SHE WAS PROGRAMMED TO THINK SHE WAS THE ONE WHO WOULD GO TO JAIL!

ROYAL PALM BEACH 

Ten years ago, a pre-teen girl was sexually abused — repeatedly — by a relative, she told Palm Beach County sheriff’s officials last month.

The woman, now 23, recalled how Carlos Manuel Maldonado had told her he wanted to teach her about sex. She was barely 12.

» See who was recently booked into the Palm Beach County Jail

Maldonado, 46, was arrested Saturday on charges of incest, sexual battery on a minor and battery with bodily fluids. The Royal Palm Beach resident is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail on a $165,000 bond.

The woman called Maldonado while she was with detectives last week. He repeatedly apologized for the repeated sexual encounters saying he “let himself go,” “let my guard down” and “let my flesh get the best of me,” records show.

MORE: Sexually abused as a child: A Post reporter’s journey to finding hope

She asked if he’d abused any other children. “No, no, you don’t have to worry about that,” he reportedly told her.

The abuse happened during the summer of 2006, she said. Maldonado talked to her about sexual education and her menstrual cycles, she told deputies.

He made her watch pornographic movies, touched her in the shower and raped her, she said. If she told anyone, he would get in trouble and go to jail, Maldonado reportedly told her.

SEXUAL ABUSE DOES NOT ONLY HAPPEN TO GIRLS

Too often the abuse and/or incest victim is portrayed to be the one at fault, and the abusers get off "scott-free."Their abuser programs them to believe no one will take their story seriously, and unfortunately for many who come forward, that is what happens.

This judge has made the mother pay the price for sexual abuse of her son.

Cases like this are the reason Cheryl and Rob Cuccio have come forward with their story to let victims/survivors know that they are not alone and don't have to be defined by the atrocity that happened to them. There is support in numbers and now there are agencies that will take action.

FROM THE SUN, A news uk company

BY JOHN SHAMMAS

 

7th February 2017, 8:00 pm

MUM FROM HELL 

Mother jailed for 16 years for the incest and sex abuse of her son from the age of four

The 40-year-old mum was arrested in October 2015 on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, alongside one count of incest 

The Louisville woman was sentenced to 16 years
in prison for incest, sodomy and sexual abuse
of a child under the age of 12

A VILE mum has been jailed for 16 years after a court heard how she sexually abused her own son when he was just four years old.

The mother, from Louisville, Kentucky, was convicted of incest, sodomy and sexual abuse.

Olu Stevens, the Jefferson Circuit County Judge, has also ordered her to register as a life-time sex offender. The woman, who The Sun is not naming to protect the identity of her victim, was initially arrested in October 2015.

Following an investigation by the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Crimes Against Children’s Unit, she was charged with five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of sodomy and one count of incest.

In an interview with police officers she admitted to performing oral sex on the boy. 

FROM THE GUARDIAN - SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVOR SPEAKS OUT

EXCERPT FROM THE GUARDIAN.COM

‘For many family members of survivors, everything suddenly makes sense to
them once the victim discloses that abuse.’ Image features actors: Alamy Stock Photo

August 28, 2016  'Like a spider that keeps building its web': family of sexual abuse survivor speaks out

When Meg was 12, her mother, Annie, found herself unable to look at her. Seeing her daughter made Annie feel unsettled, at times almost angry. At first, she couldn’t figure out why.

“And then, Meg turned 13 and suddenly, everything slid into place for me,” Annie says.

“I found myself thinking, ‘She’s so tiny. She is so little.’ And I realised I was actually talking about myself, not her.

“It felt like something just broke. It was something big and ugly, and it just broke.”

Annie was 13 in 1987 when an Anglican priest began sexually abusing her, over a period of eight to 10 months. Seeing her daughter turn the same age was a trigger that not only bring back memories of the abuse, but that also helped her to comprehend just how small and innocent she would have been.

He was in his mid 30s, and used Annie’s vulnerability after the acrimonious divorce of her parents and his knowledge that she had been sexually abused by a family member to his advantage. READ FULL GUARDIAN ARTICLE

UPCOMING ARTICLE IN MAJOR INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE

We just had to share this with you although we can't reveal the name of the magazine yet. Reporter, photography crew and video crew have just completed their interview with Cheryl and Rob. It is really exciting that their message will reach millions now. Writing this book was a hard emotional experience, as they had to relive so many things, but they say it has been worth it. 

Their message of inspiration and courage was the main reason they endured delving into past events to write a compelling book with the unvarnished truth. Now they are on the path to reaching as many people as possible. 

Thanks to everyone who has purchased their book and to those who have taken the time to post reviews. The reviews are very important, and if you have read this book your review will be greatly appreciated.

MASSIVE THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE BOUGHT OUR BOOK

Thank you so much to all of the people who have bought our book and the wonderful 5 STAR reviews that have been posted. We tried not to sugar-coat the reality of this true story. 

So many Facebook posts and emails have been received from abuse survivors thanking Cheryl and Rob for having the courage to tell it like it was, and encouraging them to not let what happened, no matter how bad, to define them. 

There is no question that these experiences are horrible, like the worst nightmare you could ever imagine. And healing is extremely hard, but receiving the message that they are not alone and there is hope for a better life is the reason Cheryl and Rob went through their own paid of writing the book--to reach out to others who find themselves in abusive situations, and to stimulate awareness in those who have never experienced abuse.