DOMESTIC HOMICIDE HAS ENDURING IMPACT ON CHILD By Karen L. Bune

He was only 2 ½ years old when he became the likely witness of a horrific crime that involved the domestic homicide of his mother. Former Canton Ohio police officer, Bobby Cutts, who was convicted of killing the toddler’s mother and his pregnant girlfriend, Jessie Davis, has tremendously impacted this child’s live. Like a sponge, a young child absorbs what he sees, hears, and what occurs around him—both good and bad. In this case, the child was able to process enough to understand that something was very wrong. What he heard and saw was conveyed through his commentary revealing he saw his mother crying, knew she broke the table, was aware she was placed in a rug, and that his “daddy’s mad.”

Domestic violence can have a tremendous impact on children of all ages in the household. Their exposure to the recurring cycle of violence, predominant in most scenarios, provides them a dysfunctional example of a way of life that can have detrimental consequences and affect them the rest of their lives. They grow up believing that what they have observed and what they have been a part of is the way life is. It is not uncommon for them to become young victims of emotional as well as physical abuse themselves. As they grow older and mature, they may harbor deep seated feelings of resentment, anger, shame, and embarrassment leading to them feeling insecure about themselves. When these children establish their own relationships, it is not uncommon for them to emulate the abusive pattern of behavior and create a new set of victims of their own. Some mature and, they too, may eventually kill.

In this case, the toddler’s verbal expressions led police to investigate the child’s father which led to the subsequent arrest, trial, and convictions. Though the child may be too young to process the ramifications of all that has transpired, it will be vitally necessary for this child to receive immediate psychological assistance and support. As his life transitions and he has new caretakers, he will require much love and nurturing as well as close and careful supervision.

The tragic outcome of a senseless murder leaves a profound and debilitating impact on the family survivors. When jurors soon reconvene for consideration of sentencing and contemplate whether or not to recommend the death penalty, hopefully they will not lose sight of the importance of how lethal and destructive Mr. Cutts’ actions were compounded by the everlasting effects that will forever pervade this child’s life.