Child Awareness Flag Raised Over Courthouse

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY –  At a well-attended ceremony Friday, Apr. 5 on the steps of the Houston County Courthouse in downtown Crockett, dozens of people gathered to witness the traditional raising of the flag to mark the month of April as “Child Abuse Awareness Month.” The event featured the organizations and churches at the forefront of the struggle against such abuse, including local law enforcement and justice officials for the county. 

Pastor and President of the Texas Child Welfare Board Tim Allen welcomed the crowd to the event, thanking them for coming and saying everyone must be a mandatory reporter when it comes to child abuse. 

“We find a spike in reporting in summer, when children are out of school,” Allen said. “Houston County is a model for the state because of what we do here. It shouldn’t hurt to be a child. And so we thank you for coming out every year – it seems like it’s growing, more and more each year. Thank everybody for what you do.”

Allen went on to note the work of law enforcement, including the Texas State Troopers present and the work of Houston County Attorney Daphne Sessions and her department. 

After a prayer, Houston County Judge Jim Lovell read a proclamation on behalf of the county, proclaiming April as Child Abuse Awareness Month, noting some of the disturbing figures in the state and the county. 

“These numbers staggered me and it’s up to all of us to be involved to prevent this terrible situation,” Lovell said, holding back emotions. “There were 310,582 cases of child abuse and neglect reported in Texas in fiscal year 2023. Let that soak in. 58,100 Texas children were confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect in fiscal year 2023. 49 of those children reside in Houston County.”

CASA Executive Director Natalie Thornton noted the large turnout of people, from citizens to government officials, who came out of the goodness of their heart, in order to support the cause. 

“It’s a testament to the people who are here, that you care that much about kids, you’re willing to take time out of your day and not getting anything out of it. Thank you so much for being here,” Thornton remarked. 

She mentioned how fair Houston County law enforcement, prosecutors and judges were in these cases, noting that made the biggest differences in parents repairing relationships with children.  

“Where parents were successful and able to be reunified with their kids was if they felt they were treated fairly,” Thornton said. “It makes sense, because if you are going through something and you don’t think people are being respectful or you’re not getting a fair shake – you’re just going to give up. That’s why it’s so important.”

Houston County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Zachary Allen shared some real-world stories from his time in the field. Allen noted some parents themselves did not seem to understand the difference between punishment and abuse, giving intense examples of how far some parents will go. 

“If we’re not doing our due diligence, with every agency working together – it’s easy for the ball to get dropped. It’s easy for a child to go unnoticed,” Allen said. “A lot of times these kids can’t speak up for themselves. They’re victims and they don’t have a voice like adults do. It’s easier for an adult to come forward and say something happened for a child – whether they’re too embarrassed or they don’t feel like someone will listen to them.”

Thomas Shafer, Houston County Attorney Investigator and Victims’ Assistant Coordinator reiterated it takes the whole community to put an end to child abuse. 

“Working together with our community partners, we here in Houston County will continue to shine the light on those who attack and prey on children and work to bring those children of abuse out of the darkness,” Shafer said. “By continued efforts to make people aware of the ongoing issue and working together to stop child abuse, we can make an impact here in our community that child abuse will not be tolerated. Children are the most innocent of all of us. And they shouldn’t have to live in those conditions and should be protected at all costs.”

Houston County Child Welfare Board Members Sally Brannen, Sharon Kenley, Cathey Minchew, Jenni Shartle and Tammi Bruner then raised the child abuse awareness flag atop the pole over the county courthouse, as the area around downtown was decorated with blue ribbons and pinwheels. 

T-shirts, pinwheels and other materials are available for small donations and are prevalent around the county during the month of April. The Messenger has asked many of the local experts if the seemingly rising numbers of child abuse are due to a changing world or a product of better detection and reporting. Many argue it is a problem as old as time, only well hidden before people knew what to look for and there were mechanisms in place for these children to report the abuse. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]