Child abuse rising in Central Georgia

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Crescent House of Medical Center Central Georgia handles nearly seven hundred child abuse cases a year. But one abused child didn’t make it out alive, and now Monroe County officials are meeting to determine what exactly happened to Heaven Woods.

Crescent House Director, Sandra Sneed says her organization has worked with more than 10,000 abused children since 1997.

Crescent House works to save the lives of physically and sexually abuse children everyday. They provide services to the children such as exams and interviews.

Recently, a five-year-old, Heaven was found unconscious in a Brookwood Drive house.

Heaven died of blunt force trauma to her stomach, according to the autopsy.

Towaliga Circuit District Attorney Richard Milam is seeking a murder charge in the Heaven Woods homicide case. Milam is scheduled to hold a “preliminary findings meeting” with every law enforcement person involved in the case, Friday.

“I was at the autopsy,” said Milam. ” What I saw was an abused child, who had been abused over a period of time.”

Medical examiners also found new and old injuries all over Heaven’s body, said the prosecutor.

“There is evidence of broken bones, which would sustain or substantiate a warrant for aggravated battery,” added Milam. “There are some recent and in the healing stages wounds and injuries all over her body. This child had been abused over a period of time and there were multiple witnesses who saw the abuse of this child. The message is, if you see something like this call law enforcement. Don’t be satisfied to tell someone don’t do that. This child is now dead and could have been saved.”

Milam says he finds it hard to believe anybody could have looked at Wood’s body and not feel something.

“I’ve been a lawyer for 40 years and a prosecutor for 15 years and I’ve handled many murder cases,” continued Milam. “But this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”

Sneed agrees with reporting child abuse immediately.

“I think it’s everybody’s responsibility to be aware, to know the facts about child abuse. Be aware of what’s going on in your community,” said Sneed. “Be aware of what’s going on around in your neighborhood with the families that are around you even in your own family, you know, to watch out for children. “