Newspaper Review 1

Date: 5th December 2008
Newspaper: Straits Times (World Section)
Article: Woman Admits Torturing Teen

Summary
This Article Is About A 16 Year Old Boy Being Abused Very Badly. "A Teenage boy who limped into a local gym with a chain locked to his ankle had been burned by a baseball bat heated in a fireplace and forced to watch a family eat meals while he went without food, a woman accused of abusing him said in a jailhouse interview." Kelly Layne Lau And her Husband were charged with kidnapping and torturing the boy. Caren Ramirez, the boy's former guardian whom he called his aunt, was also charged with abuse yesterday. Kelly Layne Lau Told The TV Station That Caren Ramirez and the boy came to live with her family more than a year ago because thy had nowhere else to go. She said Caren Ramirez instructed them to discipline the boy as she did. Kelly Layne Lau said she struck the boy in the knee with a baseball bat at least five times. Kelly Layne Lau said she participated in the abuse because she was afraid Ramirez would hurt her own children. Caren Ramirez also burned the boy with a hot aluminum bat, according to Kelly Layne Lau. Caren Ramirez would not let anyone else feed the boy. Also, the teen would sit in the living room and watch while the Schumacher family, including their four young children, ate meals in the kitchen. The Boy Escaped From The Home And Fled With A Chain Still Attached To His Foot To A Nearby Fitness Center. He Was overed In Soot And Wore Only Boxer shorts. Kelly Layne Lau And her Husband Are Now Set On Bail. Caren Ramirez was being held at the county jail for psychiatric evaluation. The three are accused of abusing the boy with baseball bats, knives and belts from July 2007 to this month. Kelly Layne Lau and her husband are also charged with endangering their four children, who range in age from 1 to 9. Those children were placed with Child Protective Services after their parents' arrest. Authorities have said they showed no signs of abuse. Caren Ramirez had been the boy's legal guardian since child welfare officials took him from his abusive father three or four years ago. Last year, she pleaded no contest to one felony count of beating the boy, according to court documents. She was sentenced to five years of probation. Authorities had earlier identified Caren Ramirez as the boy's aunt but said on Thursday they had learned she was a family friend he called his aunt.

Reflection
In My Point Of View, The Boy In This Story Was Being Abused Continuosly. His Father Abused Him, His Trusted Guardian(Caren Ramirez) Too Abused Him. And The Family Whom They Turned To For Help Too Abused The Boy. What Was Shocking About That Family Is That They Don't Abuse Their Own Children But Participated In The Abuse Because They Were Afraid That Caren Ramirez 'Would Have' Hurt Their Own Children. I Feel That Kelly Layne Lau Is Just Finding An Excuse To Blame Someone Else On What Could Have Been The Cause Of Her Actions. All Three Of Them Had No Conscience On What They Were Doing To A Teen. If That Boy Were To Be Their Own Child Will They Have Come Up With Such Atrocious Acts? What If They Were In the Boy's Shoes And They Didn't Belong Anywhere But Had To Be With A Stranger For Survival And Ends Up Getting Abused, How Would They Have Felt? I Feel That These Adults Are Just Being Immature And Uncaring. Moreover, Such Abuse Cases Are Becoming Quite Frequent And No One Seems To Pay Much Attention To Them Maybe Because They Are Quite Usual Cases. I Feel That The Psychiatrists Should Investigate On These Cases Further And Find Out Why Adults Are Acting As Such. Because If Not All Adults Act In Such A Way, I Don't Understand Why These Adults Do. Moreover, They Are Parents For Four Kids And Still Have The Heart To Abuse Another Kid Who Isn't Theirs'.

-NaZiRa