Continuing our 3-part series on HBO’s recent documentary Leaving Neverland (read part 1 here), this reflection deals with the phenomenon of Parental Endangerment. Most people do not realize that allowing their children to be placed in dangerous, unhealthy, or inappropriate situations is a form of abuse constituting a crime. It does not require evidence of physical injury. As the link below states, it is any situation that might “endanger the child’s life, health, welfare, morals, or emotional well-being.” It also does not matter if there was intent or not. “The courts apply a ‘reasonable person’ standard in child endangerment cases.” Whether the accused realized it was dangerous or not, they remain culpable. https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/criminal-offense/child-endangerment.htm.
In the documentary, if you find yourself angry with the parents, you would be well-justified. Both parents describe being swept up in the surreal fairytale that surrounds Michael Jackson. The “star struck” rationale falls apart pretty quickly when you hear the red flags that were ignored and justified away. Some warnings were so blatant that it’s amazing the denial even worked. What happened that caused them to override their instincts that told them behaviors were wrong? Why did they not become forceful when they felt uncomfortable? Why would they allow themselves to be pushed out and increasingly denied access to their child? If there are questions about what criminal endangerment might look like, this story is littered with them.
Wade’s mother, after only knowing Michael for a few hours, allowed her son to stay with him for five days without another family member present. She was distraught while away from him and expressed a sense of desperation when her calls went unanswered. I cannot imagine leaving my seven year old without an adult who could serve as an anchor and protector. It’s even harder to consider letting a man-child be in charge of a juvenile’s well-being! Yet she did not immediately return to get her son; she continued with the rest of her vacation. An interviewer asked why she would allow a grown man to have a little boy have sleepovers in his bed. She explained that Jackson never got a childhood, so he was creating experiences he missed.
Other flags were just as strange. Michael began communicating with the children via fax, sending daily notes that included pet names and “love you” messages. These were never addressed to the families, they were addressed to the boys. Wade’s mother invested so much energy to help foster a relationship between Jackson and her son that she sacrificed the relationships Wade had with his father and brother. Her marriage even fell apart as her husband felt like he had been replaced with their Jackson infatuation.
A final bizarre twist occurred when the abuse allegations surfaced. Both parents questioned their sons about the abuse but did not pursue anything further. The children should have been interviewed by a specialist who knows how to help coax the facts out. It is rare that a child would admit what had happened, partly due to the grooming discussed in the previous article. Supervision should have been constant and all boundaries reviewed to make sure they preserved appropriate child-adult interactions. No matter what answer is given, this is a serious allegation that should NEVER be taken lightly.
Children are trusting, innocent beings who do not have a concept of sex, let alone the implications abuse will have on their lives. It is our job as parents and trusted adults to ensure their childhood is preserved. No matter the strength of the desires and dreams, nor the pressures to compromise, safety must always be a fundamental concern. As the documentary shows, failing to protect our children can result in years of suffering that impacts all areas of the survivor’s lives.