A Glorified Child Abuse Case: Toya Graham of Baltimore

Video footage of Freddie Gray's arrest and Dante Parker's death in custody

Background

In 2014 to 2015, several unarmed black Americans, some were young children, were killed by white policemen in unjustified circumstances. More prominent cases among these are Dante Parker (36, San Bernardino County, California killed on 12 August 2014), Michael Brown (18, Ferguson, Missouri killed on 9 August 2014) and Tamir Rice (12, Cleveland, Ohio killed on 22 November 2014). It led to demonstrations and riots in various U.S. cities. The incident in this case is caused by the sudden death of Freddie Gray shortly after taken into custody by Baltimore police on 12 April 2015. Despite that the State Attorney’s Office filed charges against the six police officers after a medical examiner’s report that ruled Gray’s death a homicide was published, protests and civil disorder persist. Baltimore's mayor announced citywide curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. School trips were canceled until mid-May.

A Baltimore resident 16-year old Michael Singleton, son of Toya Graham (a single mother of six children), took part in a riot and threw rocks into a crowd of Baltimore cops. The African-American mom slapped and pulled her teenage son out of the protest in April 2015. Her violent discipline was captured on video and has attracted wide commendation for her decisive disciplinary action in saving her son from putting himself in a vulnerable, possibly life threatening, position that would have led him down the wrong path. Be mindful that there is a suggestion that young black men, like Graham’s son, are 21 times more likely than young white men to be shot dead by police in America (see the sixth paragraph of Dear White America: Toya Graham Is Not Your Hero by Julia Craven, Huffington Post on 29 April 2015).

Is Toya Graham a tough loving mother or a blatant child abuser?

We will not comment on the propriety of her action in the surrounding circumstances. This incident draws our attention because Graham’s disciplinary method would bring child protection service (CPS) officials to her door in a normal scenario. Presuming all her children are under protection age, six kids in one case are lucrative to the child protection industry (the industry unless otherwise states). Two days after the son hitting video went viral, her nightmare with CPS began. On 30 April 2015, CPS in Baltimore has launched an investigation on Toya Graham. CPS alleged that they cannot allow a young man to suffer such violence and abuse, regardless of the cause. They will conduct an investigation that will determine if Ms. Graham will be allowed to continue being her children’s legal guardian.

The photo above was taken when Gestapo-like child protection workers (in plainclothes) and the police demanding entry of a B.C. residence without warrant in July 2011.

If you find the foregoing absurd, hear what a turncoat child protection work says

Why Baltimore CPS did not remove her children immediately as they often do in less prominent cases? What are factors CPS will consider before using their fearsome child removal authority? In most jurisdictions in North America, a 16-year old teen is still a child under state protection by law. In British Columbia, the age limit of protection is 19 at the point of writing. There is pressure from the local child protection service providers to raise this limit to 25. This self-serving proposal will further enhance job security and business opportunities in the industry.

By child protection industry's standard, Graham has verbally, mentally and physically abused her child, inflicting serious psychological and physical harm. If this happens in Canada, her action has exceeded the threshold of corporal punishment permitted by Section 43 of our Criminal Code (the so-called spanking law) which will result in assault charge. The video footage is ironclad evidence of her perceived wrongdoings. In a common scenario, parents in English-speaking countries where governments have the general authority to remove children from their parents based on bureaucratic opinions will soon encounter the following:

1. When CPS is ready to strike, child protection workers will bring a team of police to the residence, with or without warrant, demanding entry to conduct child protection investigation, remove all children under protection age and arrest the parents in question. Alternatively, children could be removed when they are in schools or in day care.
2. Despite whether there is sufficient evidence to obtain a probable conviction, child protection workers will lobby the Crown or state attorney to lay criminal charges of assault on parents to lend support on child custody applications and to force parents to fight a two-front war in criminal trial and lengthy child protection hearing that could take years to complete.
3. All children will be placed in foster homes. No or very limited visitations under tight supervision will be given to parents during normal business hours. Many parents end up losing their jobs due to the prolonged absence from work to see their removed children.
4. If removed children show any signs of disobedience, distress or depression, CPS paid psychiatrists will prescribe strong psychiatric drugs to keep them under control.
5. Parents will be compelled, either by way of a court order or using visitation of their removed children as pawns, to undertake psychological assessment and anger control counseling from CPS approved and paid service providers. Assessment and counseling sessions are disguise fishing expeditions to hunt for self-incriminating information. Be mindful that there is no confidentiality protection of counseling file in most jurisdiction.
6. Children will be alienated from their biological parents by lengthy separation and smearing indoctrination from foster parents.
7. Removed children will be engaged in counseling. Pseudo scientific methods, like drawing test, will be used on young children to support professional opinions on how the CPS alleged child abuse has adversely impact childhood development.
8. If there are two parents in the family, a wedge will be driven between them to instigate conflicts aiming to bring separation and subsequently divorce. Using their children as pawns, a family could become dysfunctional in a short time. This is a scenario in which court is more likely to rule in favor of child protection agency.
9. Parents, if they are not on legal aid, will be milked dry by their lawyers in no time.
10. Under the pretext of child protection, children are traumatized, parents are plundered and families are ruthlessly destroyed during the aforesaid process. Service providers are the only true beneficiaries. Taxpayers and society are always an indirect victim.