East Point police shower young child abuse victim with love during the holidays

EAST POINT, Ga. — East Point police say they are showering a toddler with love this holiday season after the little girl almost didn’t make it.

Investigators say the 2-year-old girl was so malnourished that she almost did not survive. Her mother was arrested and the girl has since made strides in her recovery.

Police say they are holding her extra close to their hearts and had the opportunity to shower her with Christmas gifts.

“It was so awesome,” Captain Allyn Glover told Channel 2′s Michele Newell. “The pictures don’t tell the whole story of how great a day it was.”

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Even though this little girl is a success story, Cpt. Glover says the community has to be more vigilant when it comes to spotting the signs of child abuse and reporting it.

Cpt. Glover says that in this little girl’s case, her extended family knew something was wrong and told police, saving her life.

“We found a child that was severely malnourished and some officers shed some tears,” Cpt. Glover described. “Now she is kinda part of our family. She’s doing great.”

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Child advocates are concerned about the growing trend in child abuse cases that has taken place during the pandemic.

“They are rising and so we are continuing to see greater numbers of children coming in,” said CEO of the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy Sheila Ryan. “Teachers are the biggest group of individuals that make reports of child abuse.”

The organization says they are starting programs to help show teachers what to look for when it comes to spotting child neglect in a virtual setting.

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East Point police say this isn’t just on teachers; it’s on us all.

“With a lot of the schools being virtual now, you don’t have the counselors and the teachers that are all looking out for the children. Family members and friends need to become more vigilant and help us to spot those indicators,” Cpt. Glover said.

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