MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A slew of recent child abuse cases are sparking debate about who should be held accountable when children are neglected or hurt.
In one case, a child was beaten for eating cheesecake. In another, four children were tortured over the course of a year. Both investigations name the men as the abusers, but also led to charges for the mothers for failing to stop the violence.
Memphis resident and mother Nanette Reding tears up even thinking about child abuse.
“I keep thinking about the man in St. Petersburg that threw his 5-year-old daughter off the bridge,” she said. “I just don’t know how people can do it. I just don’t understand.”
Everyone WREG talked to agreed convicted child abusers deserve harsh punishment. In both of these recent cases, the men were listed as the primary abusers.
The mothers were also both charged for standing by and not reporting the abuse.
“If one does it and the other one doesn’t, the other one’s just as guilty for not coming forth and saying something,” Reding said.
The prosecutor’s office said charges vary from case to case, but those who know about abuse and do nothing to stop it can face neglect and abuse charges themselves.
Reding thinks there’s no excuse for not reporting abuse.
“You can get out of it. There are places to go for help, and you need to be accountable for it,” she said.
But Max Kirk, another Memphis resident, told WREG he thinks some factors, like whether the other parent is being threatened themselves, can make inaction more understandable.
“There are exceptions to every rule, and that, I believe, would be an exception and should be looked at and handled in a different manner,” he said.
The couple charged with abusing four children, Sharrad Sharp and Natasha Philmore, waived their preliminary hearing Tuesday.