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.
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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.

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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?

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