This story is what typically springs to mind when the words “child abuse and neglect” are uttered. In reality, the cast majority of “child abuse and neglect” cases are not of this sort, do not involve the heinous allegations set forth here, and do not warrant or require the extent to state intrusion into family life that is prompted by such stories.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend reading these types of stories so that our society can learn to differentiate these offenses from those we most frequently encounter in the world of child welfare law litigation.