Corey's Story

This is a picture of Corey, a beautiful six-year-old boy whose tragic death has been on my mind and brought tears since I heard his story. Teaching violence prevention and self-defence for the past 30 years, I've always felt a particular sense of helplessness when it comes to preventing child abuse.

Let me first share Corey's story and then explain why this area feels so challenging to address effectively. Corey's father has been convicted of manslaughter. There is video evidence of the incident, which I can't post here due to platform restrictions. However, it's accessible online. Feel free to message me if you'd like a link to the video, but be warned, it is tough to watch.

In the video, you see Corey on the treadmill, which might seem like a great father-son bonding scenario. However, as the video continues, the tragic reality unfolds. Corey's father is seen increasing the treadmill speed and incline to the point where Corey falls multiple times. Allegedly, the father felt his son was "too fat," and this was his solution. Despite falling over and over, Corey's father repeatedly places him back on the treadmill and raises the speed again, completely disregarding his son's well-being.

Days later, Corey Micciolo died on April 2, 2021, after complaining of nausea and shortness of breath. He suffered several seizures upon arriving at the hospital and died an hour later.

The autopsy revealed he died of blunt force trauma sustained from the repeated hard falls on the treadmill, with the defence arguing the boy had an infection.

My first thought was about how some parents, in an attempt to teach their children strength and resilience, push them far beyond humane limits. Corey was only six and a child, yet he tried to comply with his father's harsh demands. This tragic incident highlights the severe consequences of such extreme and unrealistic expectations on children.

Make no mistake, this is blatant child abuse, especially considering the father allegedly told his son he was "too fat." Such cruel comments and actions toward a six-year-old have nothing to do with supporting children. As I mentioned, this topic makes me feel helpless for many reasons, and it is challenging to prevent.

Child abuse often occurs in isolation, with only the abusers or close family members aware of it. This secrecy makes it difficult to detect and intervene in time. Furthermore, children are usually too scared to speak out, and the signs of abuse are not always apparent to outsiders. If neighbours, teachers, or others are unaware of the abuse or don't understand its signs, it becomes nearly impossible to prevent tragedies like this. Without recognition and intervention, the cycle of abuse continues unchecked, often until it's too late.

Most often, other parents or family members need to intervene or report abuse, but they, too, may be victims. Even when someone does report, like Corey's mother did, these cases often fall through the cracks. This highlights the systemic failures and the need for more effective measures to ensure reports are taken seriously and acted upon promptly.

There are countless stories like this one, and while not all result in death, they do lead to destroyed childhoods and trauma that persists into adulthood. We must give stories like Corey's much more thought, attention, and action.

If you are aware of such abuse, it is crucial to speak up and report it to help prevent further tragedies. I, for one, know I will think about Corey's tragic, short-lived life, and while prayers are useless, in my opinion, actions are not. I do hope Corey has some level of peace now.

When I look at my grandchildren, I will occasionally think of Corey and how our children, grandchildren, and neighbourhood kids are a gift we are responsible for protecting, supporting, and loving.

Keep SAFE!

Christopher Roberts

#childabuse #parenting #violenceprevention #selfdefense #kidssafety