BATON ROUGE – The discussion over a Baton Rouge mother’s arrest has put a spotlight on abuse versus parenting. 30-year-old Schaquana Spears was charged with child cruelty, when East Baton Rouge sheriff’s detectives discovered bruises and cuts on her three boys, all between the ages of 10 and 13.
The single mother of six told detectives she whipped her sons with an electrical cord after discovering them with stolen items.
Spears went viral after doing an interview with WBRZ late Tuesday night.
“I didn’t want them to commit another crime. I did what I was raised to do and what my mom did to me,” Spears said. “People think I’m a bad person and I’m not because I love my children.”
On Wednesday, Spears told the TV station she believes if she didn’t discipline her children they would have become another statistic.
“That’s what’s getting me through,” Spears said. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. In this day and age, I see so many babies getting killed, and I refuse to look at my babies in a coffin.”
As officials review charges against Spears, they don’t want other parents to stop teaching their kids right from wrong.
“We need parents that are involved in their kid’s lives,” District Attorney Hillar Moore said. “And we need parents that are going to be a parent and not a friend.”
The case is currently being reviewed by the sheriff’s office and the Department of Child and Family Services.
“Based on what I see, the question is, whether or not what was inflicted on these kids is unjustifiable pain or suffering,” Moore said.
Activists with Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana argue this is a clear example of abuse.
“Her response is heart-breaking, you know we never want to see kids experience that kind of hurt,” said Amanda Burnson, executive director of PCAL told WBRZ.
The District Attorney’s Office handles each situation on a case-by-case basis – making sure kids are safe, but also giving parents the authority to raise them with a sturdy hand.
