http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05...?section=justin

" The Supreme Court in Perth has been told that a young Albany boy was beaten to death by his mother's partner because he wet his pants.

Albany man Timothy Farmer has pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing 3-year-old Mason Coughlan, who the court heard had bruises all over his body and internal injuries.

The child died after being taken to the Albany hospital in October 2006.

The court also heard that in the weeks before the boy's death, Farmer bathed him in salt, vinegar and disinfectant, and hit him with a tree branch.

Prosecutors have called for a substantial jail term."

Some people should not be allowed to have kids . This is madness.

You've got that right! I think every kid winds up wetting themselves sooner or later, some just can't help it. It says he was hitting the kid with a tree branch weeks beforehand. So where was the mother? If he overpowered her, at least get the NSPCC (Or whatever child protection company they have there) onto him. I remember a while ago reading something where this guy beat his daughter with an x-box controller, the mother didn't do anything until she was out cold.

Thinking back, it might not have had anything to do with the mother being around, I completely forget the chance that it might have just been him and the kid in the house.

like i said.. cruel .

Hopefully they'll be waiting with love & open arms for him in C Block...

Sadly enough, I have found that most people should not be allowed to have kids. The kids are unplanned and for some shoot out of the cannon of women like pirates at war with each other. Mothers with aids having children, fathers smoking crack with their 2 and 5 year old in the pool unsupervised(actually saw this, made my head explode) Back to the subject, I really hope his fellow jailmates piss on his head every night as he sleeps as a reminder of his actions. A little harsh ... maybe not harsh enough.

I couldn't even read the story, just the replies...There are too many sadistic people in the world today, and it's so sad that the children are the one's who suffer....There is absolutely no excuse for any kind of child abuse, and seems to be all about control and authority..I can't even think of any sentence for this man (except death), that would justify what happened...Friggin sick world.....

As much as i agree this man should be severely punished- he himself was once a victim. There are only a handful out there who are the original evil ones beginning this kind of abuse. They should research and execute those specific people when charged with crimes.

As many times and for as many decades as I have read of mothers' boyfriends offing the kids, it seems the people would take a stand and make it illegal for boyfriends to live with single women with kids if they truly cared for the children of the world.

What?? You have just lumped the good guys in with the bad guys here. Making it illegal for boyfriends to move with their girlfriend (who has kids) just because of deranged guys like the one above, you have got to be kidding me right?? While your at it add girlfriends of single dad's as well, gotta be fair we women can do this as well. What I am trying to get at is this, most people move in together to see if it will work. It is very important if the other person has children, if they all can't get along together a marriage most certainly will not work. I was a girlfriend who moved in with my boyfriend who had a child I do know that if you don't get a chance to fix (or find a way to work things out) problems that come up before marriage, you can very much kiss the relationship goodbye. I will say it again (because even though I am a woman I do take offense, step parents always get labeled evil even when they are boyfriend/girlfriend or what have you) it is not I repeat not fair to lump everyone together like this most of us are good people it's just dumb poops like this this that get splashed all over the news.

No

Err... no. People really need to get off their high-horse and stop pretending they have the right to tell people how to live just because there is stupidity in the world. If you want to be that radical, then I want all humans to just off themselves right now to save us all the trouble. I really don't understand how people can be so prejudiced and blind. I guess because a person teaching his girlfriend's son how to tie a show doesn't make for interesting news means someone out there thinks they have the right to dictate someone else's life. They're no better than that child-murderer.

I guess you don't have any problems lumping us together with creeps like that, you also probably lump us all together as evil (because of creeps like him) as well. It's very unfair, but then the world is unfair. I will always have evil labeled on me I guess since I am a step-parent how very lovely . I do thank you from the bottom of my heart in continuing the evil label of being a step-parent or soon to be. Just very lovely .

Laws are always based on statistics and what creeps do.
You should not personalize it to your own situation but look at it statistically.
It is why we have speed limits.

The statistics point to single males living with single females with children, not to anyone else.
Single as in not married.

Do you know the mortality rates of kids in Australia? Let's get specific, do you know the mortality rates of kids beaten to death by abusive boyfriends in Australia? I again refer you to the forcing everyone to commit suicide just because of some random statistic that disgusts someone somewhere. You don't like it? Too bad, you should not personalise it to your own situation but look at it statistically.



How do speed limits correlate to child abuse?

I will take it personally, because it will only promote other's to think all step-parents or soon to be step-parents are evil. That is the only thing it will do. Also, if you think about it if they put single males in that law they will also eventually put females into the law (equality), like I said women can be creeps as well as men. You can't just lump all into a group, like I have said most of us are good people it's just the creeps like this that make the news.

You can't make a law for this, there is no real fair way. The man or woman who has kids should be a little bit more on guard about the relationship with the other before inviting then to move in in the first place. Which would mean making dates with the kids as well, seeing how they react with each other. If they don't get along or something seems funny it is the parent's job to say look it isn't going to work out. Also they need to take the time to talk with their kids about their boyfriends or girlfriends, kids can pick up stuff we can not. The parent's need to start protecting their children a bit more and listening to their children.

First of all I can't see any kind of a law being put into affect like that...and I can't even put it in the category of speed limits I would say it's bad judgement on the woman's part...Before you bring anyone, man or woman, into your children's lives, you should be sure that this is the kind of person you want them involved with...Know their background, family, have they had any mental issues you should be aware of, and especially if their are younger siblings or children in their family how does he/she treat them...There are many men out there who would be only to happy to love a woman and love the child too...And there are many bad seeds like this one....

Statistically, those are the ones who marry them before moving in.

Horrible.

What goes around comes around. (Eventually.)

Poor baby. I hate he had to endure that. I just don't understand how people can be so cruel.

Bella, I'm not arguing with you, but where are the stats on this...My daughter had two children, was not married and met a wonderful guy...Was together for 5 years before they got married, dated for a year before she introduced him to the kids...Yes, she was one of the lucky ones, and did it right...I know of quite a few incidences like this where it turned out great, and have only read stories like this poor little one and others...I just don't understand how men can be lumped together...There is good and evil all over, woman that should never have children, and men that should not be around children. And then there are the lucky ones, but we don't read their stories because fortunately they found the right partner for them and their children...This is just how I think, but like I said before I would like to see the stats that you are talking about...

Your statement is idiotic on so many levels. First of all our rights should not be breached in such a way. Second thankfully no law maker is this stupid. Wake up...women aren't saints. There's bad on both sides. Why should I not not have the right to live with a girlfriend(if I had one) just because of some few sickos that do something such as this. Poor kid indeed, It's a shame it happened. Thankfully though your idiotic statement is restricted to only a few thinking so. So we don't have to worry about such a dumb law.

Bella, there are real men in the world and I guarantee that there are few people on this earth who could be made to hurt a child before I would. Evil/immorals come from your soul, not your gender.

So because a few incidences occur because boyfriends have moved in with families, statistically it's dangerous?

Alright, then have you also counted the number of boyfriends who don't kill their girlfriend's kids? If you haven't done that, you don't have a statistic. If you did do that, you'd most probably see that your 'statistic' was wrong.

I mean, as a mother, wouldn't she have noticed a pattern, or seen signs from her child? I wonder how much she knew, no one can convince me she was totally unaware.. I swear we need to go back to swift public hanging for these types of cases... something-anything to deter this sh**.. it's becoming to common.
What a pity on that little boy.. Bless his heart.. so so sad. SIGH.