Paulding County Abuse Case

                Paulding County parents, Paul and Sheila Comer, have been accused of abusing their 18-year old son, Mitch Comer. Paul and Sheila Comer were arrested on September 12 on seven counts of cruelty to children, 1 count of kidnapping, and 2 counts of false imprisonment. They allegedly locked their son in the bathroom and then bedroom for 3 years and deprived him of food and medical care. Mitch Comer was found at a bus stop near Los Angeles after his parents abandoned him there shortly after his 18^th birthday. In 2009, Paul and Sheila Comer were previously investigated by the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services as well as the Cherokee Country Sheriff’s Office, but no charges were filed. Paul and Sheila Comers have admitted to having locked Mitch in his room for extended period of time. Mitch and his sisters have been moved to local foster care homes and are all doing well.

                The Paulding County case is important because it highlights the flaws of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services. Despite having investigated the Comers before in 2009, the Department of Family and Children Services did not file charges against the Comers. Mitch Comer was locked in his room for over 3 years, well before the first investigation. The fact that officials were unable to find compelling evidence of child abuse in the 2009 investigation proves their inability to respond quickly and effectively to child abuse cases.

                The Paulding County Case is just one of thousands of child abuse cases that are filed each year in Georgia. Although the number has gone down in the past years, as of 2010, there have been over 20,000 child abuse cases every year. Child abuse is a serious problem that I feel is greatly overlooked. In 2010, 77 children in Georgia died from child abuse and this number will only continue to rise if officials cannot find a more effective and efficient way of locating and dealing with child abusers. 

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/paulding-abuse-case-comers-indicted-for-allegedly-/nSktF/
http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/statefactsheets/2012/georgia.pdf