How Could You? Hall of Shame-Sharanda Hammock UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Fayetteville, Arkansas, foster  mother Sharanda Hammock, 27, and her girlfirend Cecily Sharp, 23, were arrested on Saturday, November 24, 2012 on felony charges of second-degree battery and permitting child abuse  after an occupational therapist discovered third-degree burns on Sharanda’s 11-year-old foster son’s legs.

According to the Sheriff’s website, a $5,000 bond was posted for both women on Sunday, November 25, 2012. A court date of December 28, 2012 is also listed.

“A preliminary police report said the occupational therapist noticed the boy’s injuries on Wednesday and suspected the boy was also dehydrated when he complained of being cold. The therapist called Hammock, the boy’s foster mother, and Hammock told the therapist that the boy sustained the injuries during a bath.

A preliminary police report said the injuries were sustained on Nov. 4.

The report said Hammock said the injuries occurred when Sharp, Hammock’s girlfriend, heated water for the bath in a pot on the stove because there was a lack of hot water because laundry had been done. Hammock said Sharp poured the water in the tub, ran additional water, but Hammock went into the bathroom when she heard a commotion, the report said.

Hammock said she found the boy partially out of the tub, complaining about the water being hot, and she helped him out of the tub, the report said. The report said Hammock said she noticed redness on the boy’s legs and genitals.

Hammock said she tried to treat the injuries with a cool compress but the wounds began to blister the next day, the report said. The report said Hammock was told by Sharp she had seen the boy rub the burns with a wash cloth and cause them to bleed.

Both women were interviewed by the Fayetteville police on Saturday and the report said Hammock’s explanation did not match the injuries the boy had. The report said Sharp’s statements did not match Hammock’s.

The report said both women said they should have sought medical attention for the boy’s injuries.”

Burns to Foster Childs Legs Lead to Arrests

[5 News Online 11/24/12 by Marty Cook]

Washington County Sheriff website, detention page.

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

Update:The 11-year-old boy is identified as a special needs child. Both Sharanda and Cecily plead guilty to “permitting the abuse of a minor and being accomplices to first-degree domestic battery. Under the plea bargain, each was sentenced to 20 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction with eight years suspended.”

They only received credit for 1 day of jail time served.

There was supposed to be a trial next week and they had maintained that it was an accident, but each of their accounts of the “accident” didn’t match with the injuries on the child, who will be scarred for life.

They are allowed to report to jail on June 10!

Foster Parents Plead Guilt To Permitting Abuse

[Northwest Arkansas Online 5/25/13 by Ron Wood]