Child Abuse and Another System Failure

by Heather
(Arkansas, USA)

Out Of Options: 
My son is now 11 years old and lives with his father and step-mother. His father is in the army and stationed in Afghanistan, therefore my son is in the care of the step-mother.

I have visitation rights with my son, and when my son comes for these visits he informs me of things his step-mother does to him. She has slapped him in the face, hit him in the head with books, punched him in the stomach, kicked him, and the most recent and most disturbing of all: his step-mother's mom moved in with them and she is diabetic and taking shots. My son hid some needles from them, and his step-mom found them.

She confronted him about this and he lied to her about it. She and her mother sat him down and took the needles stabbing him in the arms with them to teach him a lesson on lying and hiding things from them.

My son was given a cell phone for his birthday from my husband and I. When it was time to take him back home he left me a note and told me when he left to read it. The note read: 'Listen to the recording on my phone.' The recordings stated what she had been doing to him.

I spoke with a lawyer, Child Protective Services, DHS,
and a child psychologist; I was informed that since there were no visible bruises or marks on his body at the time he left me the messages that they could not do anything to help me. Informed me that it sounded like a custody case and told me to hire a lawyer if I wanted custody back.

When I spoke to Child Protective Services they told me that a parent has the right to choose how they want to punish their child, where as I informed them he was not her child.

I was informed that they would do an investigation, then sent a letter to tell me that they did not have enough cause to do an investigation.

I was told to tell his father of the issue and see what he had to say since my son was in his custody. He told me that it was all a lie, then called his wife and told her what was going on. She punished my son for telling.

I want to know: Where is the justice for a child in this world? Why? A child is told to tell if they are being abused, but they get no satisfaction in knowing that they have done the right thing, but yet get punished for it again because no one wants to listen to what they have to say.

My son will not tell me anything now. He doesn't hardly talk to me when I call him and has to be supervised when on the phone with me.

I feel as though I have run out of options because no one will listen to the recordings he left, and when he is here with me no one will sit down and talk to him to find out what is going on with his step-mother.