Torturing Children: An Unfathomable Act
Three extremely violent cases shed light on spectrum of reasons for child abuse.
June 17, 2008— -- As heartbreaking as they are horrific, three cases of extremely violent torture of children have made headlines in recent days, leaving observers to wonder how anyone could be so cruel.
In two of the cases, the children died. In one, a man stomped and kicked a toddler, believed to be his son, in front of witnesses, and in the other, a 13-year-old boy was tied to a tree for two nights.
In the third case, Los Angeles police characterized the lengthy torture of a 5-year-old boy as one of the worst cases of child abuse they had ever seen. He was burned with cigarette butts all over his body, including his genitals, and forced to place his hands on a hot stove.
Forensic experts consulted by ABC News.com said the cases represent a spectrum of psychological reasons for why adults abuse children, from sheer psychosis to frenzied rage.
"Sometimes, profound child abuse reflects the psychological illness of a parent, but more often it reflects a parent who has become overwhelmed by his inability to manage a situation," said Dr. Michael Welner, a forensic psychiatrist and ABC News consultant.
On Sunday, an officer shot and killed Sergio Casian Aguilar, 27, who stomped and kicked a 2-year-old -- who police believe was his son -- to death on a dark country road in Turlock, Calif.
Before the police arrived, witnesses say they tried to stop Aguilar from brutally beating and repeatedly throwing the child to the ground, according to authorities.
Due to the boy's severe injuries, police await further DNA testing to accurately determine his age and identity, said deputy Royjindar Singh of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.
Drivers stopped and tried to intervene when they saw Aguilar on the side of the road, next to his pickup truck, beating the child.
"Witnesses said he shook, stomped, kicked and slapped the baby. They tried to intervene, but were unable to stop him," Singh said.
Police arrived on the scene by helicopter, and when Aguilar refused the officers' orders to stop beating the child, they shot him dead.
One witness, Dan Robinson, a volunteer fire chief who arrived at the scene and tried to stop Aguilar, told the Associated Press that Aguilar said he believed the boy was possessed by "demons."
