FOUR and a half years after 15-month-old Prince McLeod Rams was found unresponsive, cold and without a pulse by paramedics responding to a 911 call, his father was found guilty of his capital murder. Judge Randy Bellows, hearing the case without a jury in Prince William County (Virginia) Circuit Court, explained his decision April 13 in a 62-page opinion that methodically sorted through the evidence and definitively answered questions surrounding the case. No, the judge concluded, the boy did not die from a febrile seizure or any natural cause, but was drowned or suffocated by his father - who stood to benefit from more than $500,000 in life insurance.
But the conviction of Joaquin Rams, set to be sentenced June 22 to life in prison, doesn't tie up all loose ends. Two other deaths - the murder of Rams' ex-girlfriend and the ostensible suicide of his mother - need to be accounted for. There are questions about whether Prince's death could have been averted had Maryland and Virginia officials been more diligent. Most critical is whether lessons were learned from this tragedy that will help protect other children.
Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert can take justified satisfaction from his office's successful prosecution of a complicated case. But authorities in Prince William need to do some soul-searching about missed signals and missteps in investigations involving Rams that preceded Prince's death. Was sufficient attention paid to the 2003 murder of ex-girlfriend Shawn Katrina Mason? Why did police brush aside suspicions when his mother died and he benefited from her insurance? Then there was the botched inquiry into allegations surrounding a disputed sexual encounter involving Rams and the teenage sister of Prince's mother, Hera McLeod.
McLeod, as she wrote recently in a Post essay, faults the family court system that made her son vulnerable to harm. She had sole legal and primary physical custody of her son and fought fiercely to prevent Rams from having unsupervised visits. But a Montgomery County (Maryland) Circuit judge allowed them, and Prince died on the fourth one. "Parents," McLeod wrote, "should not have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the other parent is dangerous."
Part of the problem, according to lawyers experienced in custody cases, is an inherent bias, even distrust, of parents - in most cases women - who without physical evidence raise safety as a reason to limit or prevent contact with the other parent. "I hate it when I have to tell a client who genuinely fears for her child that she risks appearing as an alarmist and alienating the court," one attorney told us. "I hate it even more when I have to tell her she has no choice but to abide by the court's order."
No judge can lightly suspend parental contact with a child. But the interests of children always should take precedence. Montgomery County, reacting in part to this case, appears headed toward opening its first monitored child exchange and supervised visitation center, which would give judges a better option in cases such as this. It's long overdue. When it opens, it would be fitting for it to bear Prince's name.
The Washington Post
Mon May 01 2017
Four and a half years after 15-month-old Prince McLeod Rams was found unresponsive, cold and without a pulse by paramedics responding to a 911 call, his father was found guilty of his capital murder. - Pic for illustration purpose
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Misi sekali lagi ditangguhkan, dijangka berlepas pada Jumaat
Ketika ini lokasi kapal memulakan pelayaran akan ditukarkan ke satu lokasi yang akan diumumkan dalam masa terdekat.
Pihak produksi masih terima Naim Daniel jika ubah fikiran
Ketua saluran Astro Ria, Norzeha Mohd Salleh memberitahu bahawa pihak produksi masih lagi memberi ruang kepada penyanyi tersebut untuk mempertimbangkan semula tawaran yang diberikan.
The Hardest Singing Show cabar kreativiti penyanyi tempatan
Program The Hardest Singing Show mencari satu juara yang mampu menyahut cabaran kreativiti luar limitasi.
Pekerja Ahli Parlimen EU disyaki jadi pengintip China
Polis Jerman telah menahan seorang pekerja ahli politik Parlimen Eropah Alternative for Germany (AfD) kerana disyaki menjadi pengintip China.
Amaran ribut hujan tahap tertinggi dikeluarkan di Guangdong, selatan China
Lebih 100,000 orang sudah dipindahkan akibat hujan lebat dan banjir yang boleh membawa maut di selatan China.
Jokowi dan anaknya bukan lagi ahli PDIP
Presiden Indonesia Joko Widodo atau Jokowi dan anaknya, bakal naib presiden Gibran Rakabuming Raka, bukan lagi ahli parti terbesar negara itu selepas mereka menyokong calon pesaing yang juga pemenang pilihan raya Prabowo Subianto.
Lima migran maut ketika cuba memasuki Perancis
Lima termasuk seorang kanak-kanak, maut dalam cubaan menyeberangi Selat Inggeris dari Perancis pada Selasa.
Polis New York lakukan penahanan himpunan lewat malam
Polis New York bertindak melakukan penahanan membabitkan peserta yang terlibat dalam himpunan solidariti terhadap Palestin di Universiti New York (NYU) pada lewat malam Isnin. Penahanan itu dibuat selepas mereka didakwa mengingkari arahan amaran pihak universiti untuk bersurai dan mengosongkan plaza yang menjadi tempat mereka berkumpul.
Break The Siege: Ada kemungkinan lokasi pelepasan kapal ditukar
Jawatankuasa Pemandu Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar memaklumkan, wujud kemungkinan lokasi pelabuhan bagi pelepasan kapal yang terlibat dalam misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla ditukar.
Benarkan syarikat milik bukan Islam cetak Al-Quran, pengarah syarikat didenda
Seorang pengarah syarikat percetakan dijatuhi hukuman denda RM8,000 atau penjara lima bulan oleh Mahkamah Majistret Petaling Jaya pada Selasa selepas mengaku salah tidak mematuhi syarat-syarat lesen untuk mencetak atau menerbitkan Teks al-Quran, bulan lepas.
COVID-19: Lebih 86 juta kanak-kanak bakal dibelenggu krisis kemiskinan
Lebih 86 juta kanak-kanak akan hidup dalam kemiskinan hujung tahun ini, menurut kajian bersama Pergerakan Save The Children dan Tabung Kanak-kanak PBB (UNICEF).
38 kanak-kanak jadi mangsa korban serangan di Idlib, Syria
Sekurang-kurangnya 38 kanak-kanak dilaporkan terbunuh dan 46 lagi cedera dalam serangan di Idlib, Syria sejak 1 April lalu.
Children, tema iklan Merdeka Petronas
Kehidupan kita mungkin berbeza. Impian dan harapan tetap sama. Itulah tema yang diketengahkan oleh Petronas untuk Hari Kebangsaan 2013.