Another Tampa Tragedy

A seven year old child is suspected of beating his baby sister to death and authorities are contemplating charges against him.

When the "criminal" is so young, why isn't it obvious that such violence is learned behavior? His parents' actions, or inactions, should come under investigators' scrutiny. Who taught him that beatings are the proper response to a baby's tears? How did his jealousy fester and grow without intervention? Why were parents outside in the middle of the night instead of attending to their children?

Without posing difficult, but necessary, questions to the adults in charge of this child, authorities again miss an opportunity to address real issues. This kid may be beyond our reach now, but chances are he didn't start out that way.