Remembering Baby Brianna Lopez

There is a saying that no parent would ever wish harm for their children. But as old as this saying maybe, Hundreds if not thousands of children are victims of this brutal inhumane act, starting from new born babies up until late teenage years, these children have suffered without mercy in the hands of their own parents and some by close relatives. Some have been greatly traumatized and jaded and some who are unfortunate have died at such an early age without knowing what life has to offer them.

Recently I received a cause alert from one of the online network that I subscribe to, about a child abuse case that led to the death of Baby Brianna Lopez, Baby Brianna was born February 14, 2002 in Las cruces NM, five months after Baby Brianna died of child abuse in the hands of her own family. Investigators said that both parents Stephanie Lopez and Andy Walters including an Uncle Steven Lopez were responsible for this violent crime against Baby Brianna. Detective Lindell Wright who was first on the scene, said that there was Baby Brianna had “Massive Bruising on the head and then her little fingers were lacerated”. Further more Wright stated that “She had skull fractures that were both old and new. She has bleeding from the brain old and new which means that she has been physically been abused all her life.”

District Attorney Susana Martinez who was prosecuting the case said that “they raped her, they beat her”. “ She had bite marks on face, cheeks, head, arms, legs, chest, torso, everywhere”. “Literally bruised from head to toe, from the top of her head all throughout her body all the way to the big toe on her right foot”.

Baby Brianna was a victim of intentional child abuse resulting to death; Investigators said that before the night of the death,” Steven and Andy threw Baby Brianna to the ceiling and let her slam to the ground and they had raped her time and time again.”

At the time of Brianna’s death the crime intentional child abuse resulting to death was punishable by a maximum of eighteen years of imprisonment. Fortunately State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia thought otherwise, “eighteen years for a life of child?” Garcia said “It was absurd”. It took Garcia three years to change the law from eighteen years to life sentence. However both Martinez and Garcia feels that there is still much more to be done. Aside from the actual perpetrators involved in this incident, there are those who stayed silent while the abuse of Baby Brianna took place in her short lived life. The grandmother and another uncle are sentenced to 30 days to one year of imprisonment for failing to report the abuse. “ I think we ought to try and make it five years at least”. Garcia said.

Although Baby Brianna’s death had reached and touched those who live around and outside the community, The family that Baby Brianna was born into seemed not to care, It was the community that took responsibility for the casket and burial of Baby Brianna. This did not surprise Detective Wright since he never found a single photo of Baby Brianna inside the house.

Baby Brianna is only one of many victims of intentional child abuse. It is heartbreaking to know that these children helpless and innocent fall prey to the worst kind of predators, their own blood, their own family, the people who by nature should be the one protecting them from the harm that is outside the comfort and protection of their arms.

It seems as though that laws are not the only ones that we should try to correct and rethink. We as a person should rethink the value of life for us, if we are fit live and lead a life ourselves and if we are fir enough to bring another life to care for. The change of law to give stricter punishment may set the bar for justice in our society but it will not stop another child from being a victim of intentional child abuse.

The abuse is not of negligence or reckless by nature, It is done with complete disregard and respect for life. It is knowingly inflicting inhumane harm toward a child with no capacity to protect them. Greater punishment to a crime is not the only answer, we all need a higher value for life as well.