Is a cold shower punishment or torture? Child abuse experts intervene

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The death of 5-year-old Damari Perry, allegedly at the hands of indicted family members in connection with her death, has reignited discussions of corporal punishment, child abuse and, experts say, a broader category of punishments severe and recurring more like child torture sometimes designed to leave no visible injury.

Although he was initially reported missing by relatives who said he was last seen on January 4 at a party in Skokie, Damari is believed to have died several days before the January 5 appeal to the police. He died on December 29, the day before he turned 6, allegedly after a family member forced him to stay in a cold shower for an indefinite period of time as punishment, prosecutors said.

Sometimes children are punished in a way that leaves no trace, said Betsy Goulet, an assistant clinical professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield, who teaches ways to expose less obvious physical abuse. this on the surface.

Perrys’ mother has been charged with first degree murder, and two of her other sons are also charged with the boy’s death, according to Jim Newton, a spokesperson for the Lake County State Attorneys Office.

In interviews with the Tribune, experts did not assess the validity of these accusations or the details of the investigation into Damaris’ death, but instead offered greater context on child abuse in general.

I’ve been in this business for over 40 years, and talking about it… makes me uncomfortable, said Arthur Lurigio, professor of psychology and criminal justice at Loyola University in Chicago. It is even horrible to imagine.

Allegations like those in the Damaris case could touch on the realm of child torture, a level beyond abuse, in a category similar to solitary confinement, confinement and starvation, Lurigio said. Torture can transcend episodic anger and is designed to establish dominance and control, he said.

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Without specifically addressing the Perry case, Lurigio said that abusers, in general, often dehumanize the child, lack empathy for the child, are unable to control their behaviors, and can sometimes have intellectual limitations or brain damage. traumatic.

This is because human brains are hardwired on a basic evolutionary level to care for children and not hurt them, he added.

Think about what you would have to go through to be able to hurt a child that much, Lurigio said. We don’t hurt children.

Nor is it necessarily about trying to correct or prevent behavior. Harsh punishment is all about rage and fear, Goulet said.

She partners with the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services as the coordinator of Child Protection Training Academy, a simulation-based child protection training center.

Part of the training involves teaching advocates to look for less obvious signs of abuse in a household. This practice may involve asking parents questions about their attitude toward punishment or looking for items that could be used for abuse, such as heavy weights in a child’s bedroom, Goulet said.

While she isn’t speculating on the state of mind of those involved in this case, the cold showers could be used as punishment because parents believe it won’t harm a child, Goulet said, and we know opposite.

Still, cold showers are not a common cause of death among children, she said.

Now we have heard about it in two fairly high profile cases, she added, referring to the death in 2019 of 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund. Freund’s parents were convicted of causing his death in the northwest suburbs of Crystal Lake, after being put under a cold shower for an extended period and beaten.

Bill McCaffrey, a spokesperson for DCFS, said he could not immediately determine how often this tactic is used in child abuse cases.

Corporal punishment can be difficult to discuss, in part because of generational differences in how physical discipline is viewed, Goulet said.

There are even some students in his child protection classes who say: Well my parents hit me and I’m fine. And that’s a good place to start, she says. Goulet implores these students to question the effect of this type of punishment and whether there were times when it was too intense or scary, she added.

Many of us grew up in homes where parents used different techniques, she said, adding that advocates now know that corporal punishment can cause brain damage, which was not widely known there. has a generation.

Perry was placed in the foster care system shortly after his birth in late 2015, according to DCFS records, but his mother, Jannie Perry, regained custody of her children in 2017. In May 2021, the agency investigated an allegation of abuse. or negligence involving Damari, but that report was later found to be unfounded, said McCaffrey, the DCFS spokesperson.

Jannie Perry’s eldest son Jeremiah Perry, 20, has been charged with aggravated bodily harm and concealment of homicide in connection with his brother’s death. Another of Perrys’ sons, who authorities say is 17, has been charged as a minor.

In the past, according to Robin Wilson, a law professor at the University of Illinois, charges may not have been laid against caregivers other than parents.

However, child abuse laws have recently expanded to include other adults with custodial relationships, such as siblings, Wilson said. This change recognizes that people other than parents can have an important role in a child’s life and can have control over a child, she added.

No one in the house sought medical attention for the boy, authorities said. After her death, members of her family reportedly left her body in an abandoned house on the 700 block of Van Buren Street in Gary, authorities said.

Jeremiah Perry is being held in Lake County Jail in lieu of $ 3 million bail. He was due to appear again in court on Tuesday, but details of his appearance were not immediately available.

Jannie Perry was due in court on bail on Sunday but was hospitalized with an undisclosed medical problem, authorities said.

Perrys four other children have been placed in foster care with DCFS, McCaffrey said.

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