An alternate juror for the trial of a man accused of shaking a 19-month-old infant to death, Morley, an English professor at Southern Illinois University, was compelled to write about the experience, in the hope of tightening child-abuse laws and "bring[ing] something constructive from this senseless death." Morey's opening profile of Christopher's immediate family and caregivers paints a disturbing picture: both parents, Chuck and Rhonda, abused alcohol, were sexually promiscuous and worked in a series of low-paying jobs, often foisting the child onto their siblings and parents. When Chuck went to prison after pushing Rhonda and holding her head under her bathwater, she took up with Gary, an abusive sometime drug dealer. Morey then pieces together the events leading up to Christopher's death, for which Gary was eventually convicted (after allegedly raping Rhonda at knifepoint while out on bail), documenting the bewildered family's 48 hours in the hospital and the subsequent police investigation. For her unembroidered detailing of the trial, she interviews the judge, jury members, prosecutor and social workers, and compares Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) statistics with Christopher's case. The narrative can be disjointed, as Morey gives us the family's side as she gets it from Christopher's two grandmothers and others, splicing in her own insightful commentary and reactions. While her focus on the family's feelings of guilt and her lack of legal or medical credentials give her technical SBS discussions less clinical credibility, her unflinching look into the family's troubled lives makes for a grim, compelling warning.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Morey has written a powerfully touching story of the tragedy of Shaken Baby Syndrome. A child is needlessly killed and his family's pains and regrets are vividly presented. This book details the events leading up to SBS and will serve as a valuable resource for the prevention of such tragedies. I recommend it to all parents and caregivers."—Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Judge Baker Children's Center
"What Happened to Christopher offers a unique approach to educating people about Shaken Baby Syndrome by engaging the reader in all the lives of those affected by this tragic abuse. The story is captivating and meaningful. Every parent should read it."—Marilyn Sandberg, Executive Director, Child Abuse Prevention Center, Ogden, Utah
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