1. List and briefly describe the alleged victim/s of the abuse, including children’s ages if possible. There were two brothers, ages 5 and 8 years, and their 30-year-old mother. No names are released in this article and the victims are only referred to by their ages. 2. List and briefly describe the alleged perpetrator/s of the abuse and their roll in the household. The perpetrator in this case is the 33-year-old boyfriend of the boys’ mother, Edward Colucci. She had met Colucci online using MySpace in 2009 and she moved in with him approximately a year later.
At this time he immediately became physically and emotionally abusive to both the mother and the two boys. 3. Describe the specific allegations of the abuse. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Colucci would punch and smack the 5 and 8-year-old boys and laugh afterwards, he would force the boys to take cold showers, stand for hours under an air conditioner, while turned on high, with next to nothing on for clothing, force they to eat dry Ramen noodles covered with salt, raw garlic and onions, and laughed while forcing the 5-year-old to eat vomit covered rice.
On a single occasion he forced the 5-year-old boy to drink a glass of salt water that Colucci had spit in, and he sprayed eyeglass cleaner in his eyes on another occasion. He would starve the boys for days and then force-feed them raw or frozen vegetables. When the boys’ mother would try to help her sons, Colucci would physically abuse her. He also forced her to have an abortion by threatening to kill one of her sons if she did not do so. On one occasion, he threatened to kill her with a knife. She tried to leave him once and he straddled her on the floor bashing her head against the floor while repeatedly telling her he loved her.
Both boys were made to stay in the bathroom for punishments and given cold showers. The 8-year-old was forced to stay in the bathroom for two weeks at one time with only a towel on the floor, because he did not eat fast enough after being force-fed the Ramen Noodle concoction Colucci had made. 4. In whose custody (care and control) were the children at the time of abuse? The boys were in the care and custody of their mother while the abuse took place. They lived with the mother’s boyfriend in his home. She was also suffering abuse at the hands of her boyfriend.
5. Was there a history of abuse or neglect with this child or children and their family? There was no reported history of abuse to the children prior to the mother moving to be closer to her boyfriend, whom she had met through online social media. According to the report, however, physical and mental abuse of the mother began almo immediately after the move. Despite this abuse, she still moved her and her two sons into the home of the boyfriend. There is nothing reported on the father of the boys or any other family members. From the report, it looks as though the mother was on her own with the boys for whatever reason and or reasons is unknown.
6. What, if any, outside intervention became involved? (Law Enforcement, schools, CPS, medical personnel, Child Advocacy Center, shelters, CASA, etc. )? Police were called to the home of the boyfriend after report of an unconscious 5-year-old boy. This is when the abuse came to the attention of the authorities and they intervened. The night before the call to the police, Colucci accused the 5 year old of not eating a plate of cold rice and raw onions fast enough and despite the boy begging him not to hit him and promising to be a good boy, Colucci began banging the boy’s head against the kitchen counter.
The mother tried to help her son and Colucci threw a three-pound weight at him, hitting him in the leg. Colucci then pre taunted the boy to stand up, began unching him and poking him in the eye, the boy cried and told Colucci that “I just want to be your buddy,’ Colucci’s response was that the boy had ruined his day so he was going to ruin his and then sprayed glass cleaner in the boys eyes before biting the briridge of his nose. The abuse continued at 2 a. m. when Colucci had noticed that the boy had vomited on the rice mixture and he made the boy eat it while he laughed, according to the report.
He then made the boy sleep in the bathroom floor overnight and stayed awake all night to assure that the mother didn’t not try to help the boy. The next morning the abuse picked up immediately and he began punching and kicking the boy in the stomach. Every time the boy would collapse, colucci would lift him up by his armpits or hair to make him stand and continue the beating until the boy finally went limp and his mother called 911.
7. If Child and Family Services was involved, what specific interventions took place to insure the children were, and would remain safe? It was not reported that Child and Family Services were involved, but I’m assuming that in a case like this that they are helping the boys and the mother from the abuse they suffered during the 8 months that they were in the home of the boyfriend. 8. Were the children removed from the home either temporarily or permanently? It is not stated in the article that the boys were removed from the home, but the boyfriend was arrested and jailed on multiple charges for abuse to the children and the mother as well as other charges not related. 9. If Child and Family Services was involved, were the children placed with relatives or in foster care?
Because there’s no information in this article on whether Child and Family Services were involved and if they were, how they helped. I did try to contact the author of the article by email, but the email is no longer valid. 10. Did either Family Court or Criminal Court become involved? Edward Colucci is facing 13 felony counts in criminal court for the beating of the two boys over an eight-month time period. He is also facing multiple other charges including counts of robbery, first-degree kidnapping, child abuse and neglect, and battery.
11. 1f Child and Fami rvices were involved. hat was the outcome of the investigation? In this case, there is no information that I could find that states what has happened with the two boys or the mother of the boys. With the condition of the two boys and the abuse suffered by them and their mother, I hope they are getting the help they need and that Child and Family Services have helped provide them with the best help to aid in their safety and recovery. 12. If Child and Family Services was involved, was a case opened to assist and monitor the family in hopes of reuniting the children with their parents or guardians?
Due to the mother being a victim as well, she did not have the ability to protect her boys. She was in fear of the lives of her two boys as well as her own, felt she had no way out, and that they were trapped. In cases such as these, CPS would open a case for the mother and her boys to help her find and receive resources she needs for her and her boys to recover, heal, set up a support system, and help her find a safe place to stay or live. If it were a different situation in that the mother had left and kept going back to the abuser, she would be faced with charges of failure to protect her children.
This would result in a case being opened and the children being removed from her custody and placed in care elsewhere. Further investigation through CPS would determine whether the mother would have a chance to be reunited with her children. 13. Describe the final outcome of this abuse or neglect situation on the children and other family members involved. The outcome for the abusive boyfriend will be determined by the courts during his trial. As far as the two boys and their mother, the road to recovery will be a long and difficult one. They suffered trauma that will affect them possibly for the rest of their lives.
Aside from the medical issues that they could have developed from the physical abuse, other long term effects could lead to severe emotional problems, behavioral problems, and learning problems. Injuries the 5-year-old could have received from the boyfriend banging his head into the counter, could resulted in injuries to the brain and cause cognitive delays and affect his quality of life forever. Both boys are at risk for developing depression, anxiety, and high risk behaviors that could lead them to the use of drugs or alcohol later in life. Attached is more information on the effects of child physical abuse.
