(Memphis) A mother is accused of whipping her child so severely, blood was seen coming through the child’s clothes.
Jessica Howard lost custody of her children and now faces prison time.
It appears Howard was MIA for some time.
“This has been up there since last year,” said reporter Sabrina Hall, looking at a court summons stuck to her front door.
Now police have her locked up, charged with abusing her 7-year-old son more than a year ago.
According to police reports, the child was so severely beaten, he had blood showing through his t-shirt.
The Department of Children’s Services got a call and workers found severe whelps and scabs on the child’s arm and back.
In an interview, the little boy said his mother beat him with an extension cord still plugged into a radio.
He said she also hit him in the face.
Investigators say the boy had blood clots in both eyes.
“It breaks your heart because the one thing I always think is – this is just the time she was caught,” said Hallie Cohen with the Exchange Club Family Center.
While Cohen says the best place for this mom might be in jail, her office at the Exchange Club tries to help parents who might be on the edge of abuse.
“I think there are a lot of parents who end up physically abusing their child because they don`t know better. If you have a parent that beat you or hit you, that’s what you know.”
While police only recently arrested Howard, DCS says after it investigated in September 2012, they took Howard’s two boys away.
Now 8 and 12 years old, they are both in foster homes.
It’s not ideal, but Cohen says everyone should speak up if they know child abuse is going on.
It’s not just the right thing to do — it’s the law.
“If you suspect abuse, you have to report it because how would anybody know if it’s not reported?” asked Cohen.
If you know of someone who might need help, the Exchange Club offers counseling to both parents and children.nYou contact them here: http://www.exchangeclub.net/ or call (901) 276-2200.