So I was checking out the news online and came across a story that made me soooooo fucking angry I had to get it off my chest in a bad way!!!
What the hell did that seven week old baby do to you that made you take out your anger on her so bad that now their calling it “alleged” aggravated assault and saying she will most likely not live??? What the fuck is wrong with people now adays? FUCK!!!
—Beloved
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2009.
Between this horrific event and those terrible ‘honor killings’ in the Rideau Canal, I say if you can’t behave like a goddamn Canadian, you have no right to be here. Nothing can justify these crimes other than some immigrants refuse to assimulate to the laws of their adopted country.
I hope they’re all boned up the ass with a rusty sawblade.
Yeah TTFN because people born in Canada never commit horrific crimes. Do the names Paul Bernardo, Karla Homolka, Clifford Olson and Robert Pickton ring a bell for you? Shame on you and your racist bullshit.
Or Alain Legere, etc..gotta admit TTFN that was a pretty ignorant comment.
I have a friend who was convicted of killing his kid via shaken baby. He spent two years in prison before the evidence of the baby’s prior health condition came out and the judgement was overturned.
Go sit in Family Court in the HRM and get back to me about depraved!
Most of these should be in criminal court but Community Services sweeps and sweeps for heaven forbid if anyone finds out they really do not protect children!
To answer your 2nd question OB (not counting the title), it’s probably self interest, or selfishness as it’s otherwise referred. Add a big dash of disrespect, poor upbringing can help a great deal, throw in some drugs, a feeble education, sprinkle with a tad of chronic social issue (they’re all good, pick a combo to really accelerate), then mix it all up in a bowl of looking the other way. Bake for a short period, and sweep-up the mess.
Jai, it is true that that the people you listed were/are violent Canadian criminals, but what TTFN wrote stands. It doesn’t matter whether you were born here or not- you’re in Canada, and our laws are not up for interpretation.
And who fuckin said the laws were? What the hell does the immigrant factor have ANYTHING to do with this unfortunate case? The parents will be charged and tried according to our laws and deserve severe punishment, HOWEVER, to throw the immigrant thing into this argument is pointless, assuming, and like Jai said, racist.
when i went to dal.,i was taking child services course.i had a thesis to write on child abuse,and was at the then new i.w.k.,doing it.there came in a 7,yes day old baby,with no less than 72 burn marks on his little body,some as old as 5 days.the parents stated that this 7 day old baby had somehow pulled an ashtray off a table onto himself.with a bunch(72) of lit cigarettes in it.now i don’t know about anyoner else,but i went fucken apeshit on the guy,almost killed him right there in the hospital.took 6 nurses and orderlies to pull me off.guy got only 5 years,girl got only 3.i hope to see them again some day.i remember your faces,they are etched in my mind forever.and by the way,my course ended that day.got booted out and could never re-apply.hope these two fucken creeps get some real shit if that little one dies.or i’ll be hunting them too.karma is a bitch folks,remember that.
The child has died and is in a better place. The hows and whys will be dealt with by the legal system, but it will not answer the basic question of “why do these tragedies occur again and again?”
It seems to happen across all socio-economic classes, ethnicities etc. which must make it even harder to figure out.
RIP little one. So sad.
I’m not too sure about the baby but I stand with TTFN with regard to the “honor killings”. Where, in our Charter did our landed immigrants recite “death to the infidel women”. Makes me SICK. These are NOT Canadian values.
I doubt this was an honour killing. It sounds like this was a heinous case of child abuse. That’s not a cultural thing. It’s a fucked-up-human thing.
And while I’m at it, TTFN – do you have to be so crass and vulgar all the time? Seriously. There are effective ways to get your point across without being so vile. I’d be absolutely mortified if my mother spoke the way you do.
Tim if you hang around leeches that hurt their kids than I wonder about YOU….just saying
Organic, are you retarded? Why don’t you try re-reading Tim’s post.
This topic is so sensitive… I feel so bad for every child who suffers because of an abusive parent / caregiver. It breaks my heart.
How is dead a “better place”? A better place would be growing up with parents who wouldn’t assault the child to death.
TTFN I usually agree with you Oh Chesty One but this time I cannot. I doubt very much beating a baby to death had anything to do with tradition in their country or anything. There are plenty of people born and raised in Halifax who should not be parents. Period.
My apoligies to Tim – that was my mistake – sorry for my last post.
Its a shame what happened to that baby. Why are you guys turning it into a culture thing?? It doesn’t matter where they come from or what fucking color they are. It doesn’t matter that they’re not Canadians. They are not getting away with it. They are being tried to the fullest exstint of the law. Isn’t that what’s important?? That they’re not going to get away with this disgusting crime? They are going to spend a long time in jail. And people in jail don’t take kindly to child abusers. They will be in hell where they belong.
Do we know the heritage of the baby killers? Wouldn’t it be ironic if we discovered “death to the infidel women” (Davis) to be part of their doctrine?
Kay the accused couple are from Bangladesh.
Again, I don’t see how where they’re from really matters. Bottom line, they killed this baby and they should pay. Canadian or not.
I agree Virgomom. As I said above, child abuse is not a “white” or “Canadian” problem. It’s a human problem.
I jus hope these parents get what they deserve…
I had a friend who’s baby sister was shaken by the father, the baby lived but has brain damage. The father got a slap on the wrist for the crime. His punishment was a curfew, and 200 hrs of comunity service.
I’m pretty sure there are laws in Bangladesh against killing babies…it’s not like they’re from some savage place where everyone tortures children and small animals.
@ Jai and others: The individuals you listed were clinically ill (as in mental) I think what TTFN was trying to say is that many Canadians are tired of the cultural violence that certain immigrants import here along with the more pleasant aspects of their originating culture. Honor killings and Female AbandonmentAbuse have no place in our society anymore (they never should have, but we were once ignorant of Women’s Rights, some still are sadly), we cannot allow these occurrences to pass without a large public outcry against it. Frankly I think that anyone (born here or not) that commits such heinous acts should not be given the level of rights and freedoms that they are afforded…if they feel that these are not intrinsic and inalienable for all persons…then why not them too, what’s good for the goose et al.
Oh…and anyone caught murdering anyone else…should all be “boned up the ass with a rusty sawblade.” TWICE
But DER?, what about this says cultural violence to you? What about this case says honour killing?
In this particular case, the country of origin of the parents makes no difference. It was a vicious case of child abuse. Open the paper on any given week, and you can read all about Canadians who do the same thing to children.
DER does have a point that in many cultures female children are less valued than males, often because the female will need to be married off which represents a drain on the family’s finances in the form of dowries or dowry-like customs. Or just because females are seen as less-than.
However I think that we North Americans have a lot of work to do ourselves on the front…I’m reminded of the recent case south of the border of the 8-year-old Liberian refugee who was gang-raped by other refugee children; both the rape and her family’s response to it (alleged shunning) have been blamed in the media on their backwards culture, all the while ignoring the pervasive victim-shaming of North American society.
To add more disgust; has anyone read on line about the mother in Texas who decapitated her child with a knife and 2 swords and has cannibalised the baby? It’s also buried in todays chronicle herald.
Apparently this person has severe mental issues
Fair point Mole Rat, but until it is proven that this violent act was directly related to the couple being from Bangladesh is proven, drawing those types of conclusions is unacceptable. It’s racist.
Sadly, the couple down the street is just as likely to harm a child as a couple from South Asia.
I agree Jennie…just trying to make the point that even if the relation was proven, Canadian culture is far from perfect itself.
Agreed.
i have a 15 day old girl and this stuff makes me sick, why cant people just walk away and let the baby cry when they get frustrated…how does an idea like that come into their minds ‘ oh the babay is crying, i think i’ll beat the shit out of it or shake it to death” WTF
i personally believe there should perhaps be more monitoring of parents when they leave the hospital with kids
Mole Rat is absolutely correct, it was the simple fact that the baby was female that I base my observations on. Your other points MoleRat are also quite valid.
@Jennie: nowhere in my post do I say “Canadians don’t hurtkillabuse each other or their children”, quite frankly to assume that anyone thinks that is absolutely preposterous. Your focus on ignoring the fact that cultural violence is being imported here (and in increasing regularity) by our newly fellow citizens is part of the big problem.
By trying to sterilize this as just another incident of “violence in our violent Western Culture” you do serious damage to the plight of women and children trapped in homes all across Canada.
We have women here (yes even right here in Halifax) that are too afraid to call out for help, prisoners in their own homes, subject to brutal totalitarian rule in the home, DENIED their basic human rights, their civic rights, their rights as CANADIAN CITIZENS.
Sure there are culturally mainstream women in the exact same plight…but there are programs trying to educate the populace (and them) about their plight…how many culturally specific programs have you seen that are inherently focused on protecting the rights of the immigrant woman or child?
Yes Canadian born individuals harm and kill others, yes there are many depraved people hiding amongst us all over this continent, yes there is violence in the home not based on any culture, race or creed. But there is also a growing problem where whole neighborhoods protect the purveyors of these atrocities, because it was acceptable behavior “back home”. Only by showing our outrage and indignation publicly when it happens can we start to foster the seed of belief that it can and should be different here.
You cannot deny that there is a very specific feel to the evidence presented thus far that this is going all going to boil down to the fact that the poor little girl was not born as a boy.
All we can do is stand up and raise our voices loud, clearly stating for all to hear that we will not tolerate this in our country and communities, we will not let these injustices pass.
PS…sorry for the long rant…this just really bothers me…not that it isn’t obvious.
Ok, DER?, how about this –
Three year old Samantha Marie Mercer was killed a couple years ago. The perpetrator, a white man from Truro, told the courts she fell down the stairs. In reality, she was beaten to death.
So, the elements are essentially the same. A defenseless little girl was attacked and killed by someone who knew her. Do you call this cultural violence? Did this only happen “because the poor little girl wasn’t born a boy”?
I’m not saying cultural violence doesn’t exist. I’m not saying honour killings don’t happen. I’m saying to automatically assume that is particular case is one of those two – just because the couple happens to be from Bangladesh – is nothing more than thinly veiled racism.
“And while I’m at it, TTFN – do you have to be so crass and vulgar all the time? Seriously. There are effective ways to get your point across without being so vile. I’d be absolutely mortified if my mother spoke the way you do.” – well, honey, your mother must be one boring fuck.
As far as my remarks re the baby, maybe I was off base there – I had heard a news story that made it sound like these parents killed the baby to keep it quiet because of the other tenants complaints. I jumped the gun way too quick – I support any immigrant willing to become a Canandian but do believe they should assimulate to some degree – if we went to any of these oppessive countries, do you think they would bow to our customs?
Only people who use really vulgar language are interesting? Anyone else is boring? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense…
I’m not saying I never swear (I’m not saying my mother doesn’t either), but neither of pepper our speech with “boned up the ass”, “Or ol’ granny twat”, “little dirty ugly cunt bag”.
My mom’s easy going and a lot of fun, but I’m reeeeeeeeally glad she doesn’t talk like that.
I don’t think this case has anything at all to do with the babys sex. In earlier reports the landlord said that he wasn’t even aware that they were expecting a baby. He had no clue until other tenants complained about the noise. That and the fact that they live in a boarding type house leads me to believe that they didn’t know they were having a baby or she didn’t tell him. It doesn’t seem like they wanted it at all. No one knew. They mightve killed the baby and hid the body before anyone found out had they not lived in a rooming house. I really don’t think culture plays a part in this one.
That being said, I see what you’re saying about mistreating woman etc. But maybe that’s another bitch?
Again the assumptions that some of you have brought to this “debate” has the foul stench of racial profiling. There have been no details released in this case that indicate that this unfortunate incident had anything to do with culture. And TTFN, thanks for explaining your first comment, it didn’t sound like something you would say if you weren’t aware of the facts
Actually this is a relatively civil comment thread compared to others, I find, esp. considering what a volatile subject it is.
I’m sure once the details of the case come out, there will be more clarity, if possible.
and let’s not forget about 12 year old karrissa boudreau last year.has it been that long ago already.some of these sick fucks just need to be drawn and quartered.or just plain unending torture period.now some of you folks can get a handle on my nickname,life does suck,more so if you are a defenceless child of 7 days,7 weeks,7 months or even 70 years old.there is just too mkuch of this bullshit going on,and it has to stop,NOW.these asswipes will probablyonly get a tap on the hand,if they even stay in this country.i hope to hell that they read these comments online,because i hope you get the worst goddamn things happen to you both,you are nothing but scum and deserve no pity from anyone,no matter what nationality they may be.people like this make me want to go balistic on them.pieces of shit that they are.and by the way,i’m a grandfather,hurt my kids,kids,you fucken deal with me,no cops,courts,or excuses.
They’re not getting a slap on the wrist. They’re getting charged as hard as they can get. The charges will probably be upped now that the baby died. Also, they serve their full sentence here before they get deported.
Their lives in jail will not be easy for them. By the end, they’ll probably wish they were dead. With any luck anyway. Stupid fuckers.
If we wanted to be real nasty we would deport them to do the time in ‘their prison back home’, should they be convicted.
I saw this on CBC last night. CRAZY!!! The crime is heinous and I’m sure the young parents will get exactly what they deserve through our court and prison system. I was shocked because they interviewed a neighbor who admitted to hearing the child screaming through an open window yet she did nothing and told nobody. Indeed, it does take a village to raise a child. Normally I’m of the mind-your-own-business camp but the apathetic truly make me sick.
Jennie: Please re-read my post. Please stop calling me a racist, clearly you are incorrect on your thinly-veiled accusation.
Virgomom…you are correct, it should be posted as a separate bitch. At least you had the communication skills and cognitive understanding to observe that my comments are not thinly veiled racism but genuine concern for the less protected.
DER?, your last post is peppered with references to culture, and Canadian citizens, and “back home”. You’re assuming this particular case has anything to do with culture, or gender, just because these people come from a different part of the world. Until all the facts are made public, this is a case of twisted human violence – not necessarily a case of cultural or gender violence. To made the assumption that it’s otherwise – based solely on the fact that these people are from Bangladesh – does in fact make you a racist.
MAYBE it will come out that it WAS something related to the couple’s culture. But I’ll wait for the facts before I jump to any conclusions. I try my best not to stereotype.
Kay- infants cry. A lot. Really loudly and for sometimes hours. It would be foolish for people to call cps everytime they heard a infant crying.
virgomom, you’re a mom. If you had heard that kind of distress and knew there were new parents in there and heard this go on and on and on wouldn’t you do something? Call someone? Knock on the door and offer to sit while they got some air? Something? Anything? This wasn’t a passer-by. This was a neighbor telling us what she heard.
I don’t think that these people hurt their baby because it was crying a lot. I think they didn’t want the baby at all. Maybe they didn’t know they were having or if they did, they were hiding it cuz no one knew. I think they were probably planning on getting rid of the baby from the beginning. This is all speculation, of course. But its my impression.
Would I ever feel comfortable enough to go to someones house to ask if they needed help with their babe? No. Not unless I were really good friends with them. Would I ever call for help for an infant crying? Only if I suspected it was left by itself.
I do see where your coming from though. And maybe more children would get the help they needed if more people felt comfortable enough doing that. But they don’t. And in this case I don’t think it would have made a difference.
Speculate on this… they were getting regular visits from a community nurse. The visits continued beyond one or two so the nurse was concerned. That much came out on CBC. It may have been social services’ mandate, authority and failed mission to detect and prevent this tragedy but I’m still disappointed we’re such a stuck up society of snobs that nobody cared about the welfare of that child enough to make a concerned-citizen-phone-call.
It has nothing to do with being a snob. I’m certainly the farthest thing from. I would be uncomfortable imposing on someones lives that I didn’t know. If someone I didn’t know came to my door and offered assistance with my child, no matter how bad it was, I sure as hell wouldn’t be like sure you stay with my child while I go for a walk. Family only. I wouldn’t leave my child alone with a stranger. Maybe that does make me a snob. Oh well. Not everyone is friendly with their neighbors.
Agreed (I avoid knowing my neighbors also) but you don’t have to be friendly with your neighbor to save a child’s life.
But can everyone tell the difference between a fussy baby that cries a lot and a baby that’s being abused? And not knowing how the baby died, we don’t know if it was crying because it was abused or abused because it was crying. I don’t blame the neighbours for not calling someone. I blame the parents for hurting their kid.
I meant to add, no I wouldn’t leave my child alone with a stranger but I might leave my husband there while I got some rest, advice, help, made a phone call, confided in my church, school councilor, called the nurse, posted a letter er whatever. I can’t pretend to know what happened. I’m still disappointed alarm bells were not set off by the neighbor who heard it BEFORE the poor baby died.
Its not up to the neighbor. Its up to the parents to keep that baby safe. They failed in a BIG way and now hopefully they pay.
It’s Gottingen Street….what do you expect?
Way to stereotype again, asshole. It doesn’t matter what street they live on. Not everyone in the north end will kill their baby.
I agree with Miles, there’s only one place for the blame in this situation.
I can imagine being a little concerned if the baby sounded like it was literally being tortured, but…I’ve heard babies make the most insane noises just because they didn’t have their special toy or whatever.
virgomom, is expatriot stereotyping or reaching a reasonable conclusion? …not that people on Gottingen kill their babies but that maybe the neighborhood is full of apathetic or just self-absorbed people.
I find it difficult to think terror is a sound only a mother can identify. Have you seen your wife, mother or sister cry? Have you seen her do it as the result of pain? It’s not hard to tell the difference but it does require one listen with concern. It would require an ounce of sympathy since empathy was clearly not enough to save this baby
Again Kay, how do you know the baby’s cries were ones of terror? We don’t know if the kid was crying because of abuse, or abused because it was crying. Did the neighbour say that the crying sounded unusual? .
A police insider has said – completely off the record – that the child died as a result of a head injury. Perhaps the crying wasn’t prolonged because the child was unconcious? At least that way she wouldn’t have suffered as much…
I just love speculation.
I remember reading in Metro today about this…
The landlord had went to talk to the couple about the baby crying so much, and they said something like “Oh, it won’t happen again.”
THAT right there is not a warning bell… That should’ve been a full-blown-air-raid-siren.
Parents kill unwanted children in the womb all the time. What’s with the huge outcry now? Oh, right it was a helpless child, not one of those other things.
Just saying. While you’re thinking of this child, think of all the others as well.
Totally different in my opinion, Balls. Abortion is another debate altogether with. I know where you’re coming from but again, it’s not the same thing.
Not really mind snap….it’s just what you say when you’re trying to appease your landlord. Who would seriously assume that “it won’t happen again” = “I am planning to kill my child”?
How many times have you been inclined to pick up the phone and complain over a crying newborn baby? I’m with Snap on this one. The landlord should not have knocked on the tenant’s door to deliver a noise complaint. Either offer help or call someone who can! For all we know that was the straw that broke baby’s back. I’m so upset about this… there’s aren’t even words… for a change.
Wait… Kay agrees with me… That’s it, I’m callin hell! I want my snowball back
I’ve always been a humanitarian, snap. I’m almost always for the underdog. Don’t hate me just because I’m not gay.
I never once said I hated you, Kay.
Oh, and I’m not gay
A landlord is not a social worker. To assume anyone would know what is alleged happened, is really out to lunch. If what is alleged happened is an abbroation not the norm. Do you propose that the police be called every single time a child cries. It must really be nice to have 20/20 hindsight.
Back in the early ’90s I lived in an “Adult” building on Tobin, my first home away from home. The couple in the apartment next to ours had a baby, I could hear it crying. I really should have reported them. I hope they didn’t kill it.
I have to agree with the mass here. Kay, I think you’re being a bit pretentious here to say that you would “do something” over hearing a newborn infant wail. It’s great to be the champion of the unfortunate but let’s be realistic here. I don’t see anywhere in your previous posts where the neighbor heard any signs of abuse. Are you saying we should be intruding on people anytime we hear cries from an infant? How truly ignorant of you kay to turn this unfortunate incident into a tirade about unemphatic people.
How come every thread is treated like the masses versus kay? I’m not so left of center. Fuck.
If you were my neighbor and I knew you had a new infant in the house, you were a young couple and the babies cries were incessant (landlord was called about the noise) and this continued for more than a few days (or a few hours depending on the amount of terror coming from the child)…. uh, yeah, intrude. What have you got to lose? What does that baby have to lose? What do the parents have to lose (besides their temper) from an offer of help or from a children’s services investigation? I don’t even want to know my neighbors but who’s the “ignorant” one dismissing the incessant cries of a newborn? Huh? We are all but human. We all need help sometimes.
Oh… and fuck off, Fat. Get over me.
set a good example for once, kay. start by getting over yourself!
yeah.. some really terrible opinions spewing from kay on this thread. yup. sure. whatever.
Why don’t you try speaking in context and backing up your shit? What’s your fuckin’ problem? Did your parents leave you to cry yourself to sleep once too often? Is that my fault? Fuck off!
All I was saying is that it was ignorant of you, kay, to attempt to shift any of the blame onto neighbors or the landlord. The real criminals are in jail and will be punished accordingly. All your words do, kay, is unnecessarily shift blame and create a lot of possible hurt feelings to whomever may have been indirectly involved. Any anger about this situation should be fully directed towards the criminals and not innocent people. Grow up and start thinking before you write your shit, kay.
I actually remember a time a couple years back I was standing outside having a smoke, and from the building across the street I could hear a child crying… and crying… and crying. The crying was occuring before I stepped outside, and still continuing when I went back inside…
So what did I do? I called the cops (it was like 3:00AM, I have no idea how late child services is open) and said I was a concerned neighbor that thinks a child might be neglected.
So with the whole “stop blaming the neighbors/landlord” deal, I know the infant’s death is not the fault of said neighbor/landlord, but it saddens me to think that a call could have possibly prevented this tragedy
I’m not the only one in that camp, Broc. Stop following the herd (yes, he’s big enough to be his own herd) and THINK for yourself.
One more thing… if my post hurt the feelings of people “indirectly” involved then GOOD. What should they have done differently to prevent this baby’s death? All babies are helpless. What should YOU have done?
All of this is based on pure speculation. No one here knows how long the child was crying for. No one knows the urgency of the cries. It’s all fine and dandy to say what someone “would” or “should” have done, but in the end, none of us were there, and none of us know what it was really like.
Speculation? You mean you didn’t see in the news where the baby’s cries were described as those of “terror”? Please. >major eye roll<
Jennie, I think YOU should have called the cops and prevented this tragedy, right Kay?
I’ve read the comments posted here, and while I agree that there are times people should try to become involved, in the end, the parents of the child are the ones responsible. THEY are the ones that ended this helpless baby’s life. I only hope that justice is served for that poor child.
I agree the parents are responsibile. I’m saddened and disappointed the community didn’t put forth a better effort. IS THAT OKAY? (Personally, I hold the mother responsible each and every time.)
This day and age we tell people don’t put your cat out because something bad could happen to it. Don’t put your garbage out because someone might… Don’t put your recycling out because someone will… Don’t leave a bike or car or your front door unlocked because someone could… Don’t let your kids out of your sight because someone…
Isn’t it time we started behaving like civilized people who actually have hearts? We have greater aptitude for empathy, sympathy and tolerance than any other creature on the planet! Isn’t it time to put these unique skills to work? Isn’t it time we be kind, caring and concerned individuals comprising this community?
This story makes me sick.
kay, I wholeheartedly agree with your most recent comments. We seem to have become so isolated from each other, both neighbourhood involvement and community involvement. We seem to be afraid to reach out to each other, for fear of looking like an idiot. What really makes us idiots, however, is lacking the empathy, concern and tolerance to help each other out.
Kay, there’s nothing wrong with your underlying point. Of course people should care. The reason people are arguing/discussing it with you is that your arguments are based on a certain amount of speculation. We don’t know the details of the events leading up to the death of this poor baby. IF what you propose (baby screaming in terror all hours of the day as if being tortured) is true, then yes, there is probably more the community could have done. IF the baby was just crying a lot, like some babies do, there is nothing any reasonable neighbour needed to do. No one anticipates that someone is going to murder their child because it cries.
Bang on Miles! As always…
I just throw it out there as food for thought… have you EVER been inclined to pick up the phone and issue a noise complaint over a crying newborn? No need to speculate too much because that’s how bad it was.