Death of an infant by Starvation

I’m vacillating between shock, anger and sadness, but in the end am held speechless.

Benjamin Sargent died with his eyes open, fists clenched and strapped into a car seat after eight days without food or water.

[Journal Star]

11 Responses to “Death of an infant by Starvation”

  1. Cory Says:

    We were just talking about this at work. People that do things like this should have their legs severed at the knee and be left to suffer until they die in the woods somewhere.Either that, or public stoning.

  2. vonster Says:

    It does make you long for some cruel or at least unusual punishment.

  3. Helena Says:

    Where was this tragic child’s pediatrician? His visiting nurse? His relatives?
    Did he have any well baby visits with the pediatrician? Did anybody
    call DCFS? The parents bear the primary responsibility but society
    bears the responsibility for not intervening properly when parents fail or worse.

  4. jenjw4 Says:

    Yes, I wanted to blog about this, too, but I just can’t find the words. It’s too awful to even imagine, I have a hard time quantifying the disgust/anger/hatred I feel for the parents and the sadness I feel for this poor, poor child.

  5. Anon Says:

    How ridiculous to blame this on society. I didn’t do it! Did you? What is a visiting nurse anyway? Funny, I don’t recall one being around when my kids were little….

  6. PeoriaIllinoisan Says:

    Based on shock value, this episode exceeds anything in recent memory. It’s just horrific. As would be expected, comments have been turned off at the Journal Star.

  7. Mahkno Says:

    I look at my 5 month old as I write this and am dumbfounded how anyone could not feed their child for 8 days. I look at her smile and wonder how anyone could not love the smile of a 5 month old. That child would have been hollering for the first couple days. Kinda hard to ignore that. I am still puzzled about the guy in the garage. What a tragedy.

  8. YOOPER GIRL Says:

    Did they ever think of adoption??? That little boy deserved loving parents and if they weren’t ready then give him to someone that would.

  9. sage Says:

    If these “parents” didnt bother to feed this kid do you think that they would bother taking him to the Hospital? There was NO MEDICAL CARE for this child after he left the hospital. Who was going to call DCFS?
    Dude who lives in the garage? I’m pretty sure that homeskillet is probably to freaking baked to use a phone. For these two there is no punishment that is dreadful enough. Best I can think of is public flogging and then burning at the stake.

  10. myheartaches Says:

    this really hurts as someone with 2 kids and one on the way it makes me think why have my own children. there are so many out there who need help. i really am speechless to child neglect/ abuse such as this.

  11. nicole Says:

    i wish i could stick that thing in a cage and strave her! i lost a baby 3 years ago to stillbirth! an i now have a newborn! how can it not break ur heart to hear that! i just don’t even want to think of what that poor lil angel went through in her last days! i cry for for that baby now an i will for all little ones that r neglected an or abused for the rest of my days!

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