Winnipeg soldier admits beating triplet sons

[GAP]

This is going to be used against the military community in a variety of ways, especially if there starts being a PTSD connection.....

No bail for soldier-dad accused of beating sons
Sat Sep 22 2007 By Mike McIntyre
Article Link

A Winnipeg soldier charged with seriously assaulting his six-month-old triplet sons must remain in jail pending his trial, a judge ruled Friday.
The 24-year-old accused -- whose name is not being published because Child and Family Services has seized his children -- was denied bail following an hour-long hearing.

A court-ordered ban prevents specific details from being published.

The man's lawyer, Leala Hewak, said he is "very upset" by the decision and will likely appeal next month to the Court of Queen's Bench.

Her client was first arrested in late August after one of the babies was rushed to hospital suffering serious injuries, including fractured ribs, a punctured lung and contusions to his liver.

Family members claim the baby was injured as the result of an accident, not an intentional criminal act.  
Provincial court Judge Howard Collerman agreed to release the man on bail days after the original arrest, despite objections from the Crown. He cited strong military support for the accused, which included a promise to keep him under 24-hour supervision on the base.

Police re-arrested the man last week and charged him with aggravated assault against the other babies, following an ongoing probe. The charge involving the initial boy was also upgraded.

Hewak said Friday the same support is still there for her client, but Judge Ken Champagne denied his bail request.

The soldier did a two-month stint in Kandahar last year and has been having trouble sleeping ever since, according to family. The man and his 22-year-old wife were also raising their two-year-old son.

Family members came forward earlier this week to complain they had made repeated pleas for help from the provincial government and Canadian Forces that fell on deaf ears.


www.mikeoncrime.com

 

[PMedMoe]

Yep, he's going to cry PTSD, judging from the last paragraph there.
If he is guilty, I'm glad he didn't get bail and I hope he rots in prison.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Lets get this straight right now folks.............................ANYONE who gets into trouble that has even smelled Afghanistan is going to make sure that is mentioned to the press/jury and/or judge. Any lawyer would be a fool not too.

GET USED TO IT..................its going to get worse.

Heck, when they come for me, my lawyer will say its because I typed Afghanistan too much while duty-modding on that "terrible/hellish ARMY.ca website" and am now suffering sympathy PTSD. :

 

[beach_bum]

I just hope that those babies are all going to be okay.

 

[geo]

+1 Bruce

TO the little ones.... get well soon!

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I just hope that those babies are all going to be okay.

+1 to that beach bum and I hope that those who need the help....i.e. the soldier and his wife... both get help and that it helps them to be better parents. There are 3 little ones depending on them and I'd hate to see them end up in the family services foster system. having said that if this guy can't amend his parenting style then they need to be somewhere safer than in his custody. It's a very sad situation by the sounds of things.

 

[tomahawk6]

+1 to that beach bum and I hope that those who need the help....i.e. the soldier and his wife... both get help and that it helps them to be better parents. There are 3 little ones depending on them and I'd hate to see them end up in the family services foster system. having said that if this guy can't amend his parenting style then they need to be somewhere safer than in his custody. It's a very sad situation by the sounds of things.

Well said Padre.

 

[GUNS]

Time to bring back the "Blanket Party" :evil:

There is no reason on earth why children should be made to suffer.

I would sooner do harm to myself than my children.

Hope the children remain safe and their father receives his just rewards.

 

[1feral1]

I've been back 6 months now, and I still can't sleep! We all have some issues (no matter which war we were in), some bigger, some smaller.

No reason to beat a child, there never is. Thats as weak as it gets, and quite disgusting to say the least.

Let this maggot rot in cells!

Just how long will it be until we hear the word PTSD in the headlines with this person!


Wes

 

[Cpl4Life]

I pray the child fully recovers and the man receives the help he needs and the family receives the help they need without us who are not in the know judging them.  I believe it is not our place to judge others.... especially without being in their shoes.  I believe judgement is reserved for a power higher than you or I.

 

[X-mo-1979]

Winnipeg soldier admits beating triplet sons
Mike McIntyre ,  Winnipeg Free Press
Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg-based soldier with an explosive temper admits he repeatedly assaulted his six-month-old triplet sons - and says he likely would have killed them, if not for police intervention.

The tiny victims were suffering from a total of 19 broken bones when they were taken to hospital last September. They have since recovered.

Their 25-year-old father - who can't be named to protect the victims' identities - has now pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm.

These three babies are screaming at me 24/7. I'm frustrated all the time. I know I'm hurting them . . . but they all set me off sometimes," the man told police in a lengthy videotaped statement after his arrest.

Crown attorney Jennifer Mann told court Wednesday the man's disconnection with his children was painfully obvious: He didn't know their birthdate and said he couldn't tell them apart.

"They're just A, B and C to me," he told police.

He admitted to having a "horrible" temper and said their constant crying caused him to lash out. But he admits even little things - such as bad radio programs or even people staring at him - can set him off.

"It doesn't take much," he said, adding he was thankful police arrested him when they did because he "might have killed them."

"I would squeeze them because it didn't leave a mark. That was my biggest concern," he said, describing one specific incident where one of his sons "turned red and was in pain."

"I had him and I couldn't take it anymore," he said. "I don't pick them up loving and gentle. I just pick them up. I know at the time I'm doing it roughly, but I'm frustrated."

The Crown wants him to serve another 18 months in jail, in addition to the nine months he's already spent behind bars since his arrest. He is seeking to be released immediately with time in custody.

"He knows he has anger-management problems, he knows he was hurting these babies, and yet he didn't go and get the help he needed," Mann said. "A message needs to be sent that the courts won't tolerate this type of behaviour on helpless babies."

The two-day sentencing hearing will conclude Monday.

Defence lawyer Rod Brecht is expected to provide several explanations for his client's violent behaviour, including a two-month stint in Kandahar in 2006 that may have left him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Family members told the Winnipeg Free Press last year the man - who works in maintenance and didn't see any front-line duty - has had trouble sleeping ever since his return.

The man and his 23-year-old wife were also raising their two-year-old son, which made for a hectic scene at home.

"I'm 24 years old and tied down for the rest of my life," the man told police after his arrest.

Family members came forward last fall to complain their repeated pleas for child-care assistance from the provincial government and Canadian Forces fell on deaf ears.

A series of e-mails obtained by the Winnipeg Free Press paint a disturbing picture of the weeks leading up to the alleged attack.

Most were written by the accused's in-laws, who felt the young family was reaching a "breaking point" because of stress, lack of sleep and finances after the birth of their premature babies in March.

The Crown admitted Wednesday there was a delay in getting respite care to the couple, but said the father must ultimately take responsibility for his actions, which includes turning down other offers of assistance.

The man also told police he'd previously abused his two-year-old son as a baby, which would have occurred before his trip to Afghanistan.

He was denied bail after his arrest, despite promising to have no contact with his children without the supervision and authorization of Child and Family Services.

The soldier cited his lack of prior criminal record and the fact he has "served (his) country with honour" as grounds for his release.

What a POS.2 months in KAF...Yeah that was the reason  :
Hope he meets someone downtown who know's him and what he's done.

...Just wait till I get a terminal disease....

 

[Celticgirl]

Those children may survive, but the psychological impact of what was done to them - even though they won't recall any of it - will last a lifetime.

Some people just should not be parents. 

 

[Gramps]

This guy makes me sick. I would love to have a few minutes in a closed room with him.

 

[-dikweed-]

Unfortunately, this kind of abuse seems more common in the military than the general public- although I think I only have this perception because the media reports the hell out of these incidents.

I remember a guy from 4th AD here in gagetown got caught for sexually abusing his daughters a few years back.  Never saw it coming, I even went skiing with the dude once.  Creeps me out just thinkin about it.  I always wondered why his family was so messed up. 

The public puts alot pressure on servicemen and women , and when something like this comes out, they feel let down.  Its the same thing with any profession with the public trust- teachers, doctors, police officers, etc.

 

[Gramps]

Unfortunately, this kind of abuse seems more common in the military than the general public- although I think I only have this perception because the media reports the hell out of these incidents.

To make a statement like this without backing it up with hard facts is just as bad as sensationalizing a story in the media. To make a statement like this on this forum without backing it up is just stupid.

 

[George Wallace]

Unfortunately, this kind of abuse seems more common in the military than the general public- although I think I only have this perception because the media reports the hell out of these incidents.

I won't agree with the first half of your statement, but will agree with the second half.  If you pay a visit, or work in, any of the Child and Family Services and Aid organizations, in Municipal, Regional, and Provincial Systems, you will find many cases of abuse to children.  Case workers are overburdened with work.  I will agree with your statement that the media will more likely focus on a "prominent" person or case, rather than the many "common" (not that they are of any lesser an issue) cases out there.  If a Journalist has an agenda against one organization, they will focus on any 'dirt' that they can dig up against that organization.  

The military is good at documenting its activities, and keeping statistics.  It is more likely to be focused upon than, say, General Motors, who really don't care about their employees personal lives after they leave the plant.  The CF has records on people who have problems with alcohol, drugs, education, health, etc.  Does any other organization in Canada do the same tracking of their employees?  This makes the CF an easy target for Journalists who want to play with statistics and point a finger at the CF.

In a way, we are our own worse enemy, by trying to keep track of things and looking for means to improve them.

 

[-dikweed-]

To make a statement like this without backing it up with hard facts is just as bad as sensationalizing a story in the media. To make a statement like this on this forum without backing it up is just stupid.

I did not say it was fact, I said I had the perception.

In any case, abuse rates are higher in the US military than among non-military families, but the former only eclipsed the latter after the Iraq invasion began- Researchers in the States blame the rise in abuse on PTSD.  http://news.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-3/Stress-of-deployment-increases-risk-of-child-abuse--neglect-in-military-families--UNC-study-shows-945-1/

I was unable to find statistics relating to the Canadian Forces with a quick google search, does anyone have them?

EDIT: Found something

"Information from a Family Violence Initiative partner department: The Canadian Forces Response to Family Violence

While there is no evidence to suggest that family violence is any more or less prevalent in the military community than it is within Canadian society at large, in recent years, the Department of National Defence (DND) has developed and implemented policies and programs to address the issue in the Canadian Forces (CF).

These programs have been tailored to meet the needs of CF members and their families and take a comprehensive approach, which includes awareness and education, prevention and intervention. Dealing effectively with family violence is an important part of the CF commitment to military families yet it is an area that is not widely understood. Some of the key elements that make up the CF response to family violence are identified below."

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/e-bulletin/e-fbulletin-Jan-2007_e.html

Seems like the military is doing its job, which I never said it didn't.

 

[Gramps]

Philltaj , had you put all of the info from your first and second post together in one comment then it would have made much more sense and would have gotten your point across in a much better way.

 

[Jed]

Philtaj: As Gramps points out your critical lack of information in your first post most likely put a number of serving personnel and ex miliary in a defensive mode immediately. It is hard to make your point with someone who you have just dumped the slop pail on, even if it was unintentional.

Jed

 

[armyvern]

And, now he's clarified ... so we can move on from pointing out the error in his original method to him ...