editorial 22 THE COURIER SUN • AUGUST 25, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com SNAPS QUEENS 7 TRAIN YARD // PHOTO BY ORESTES GONZALEZ Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us tag @queenscourier on Instagram, Facebook page, tweeting @queenscourier or by emailing [email protected] (subject: Queens Snaps). Speak out and protect Queens’ children August has been a most violent month in south Queens, as we have reported, as the area has seen a shocking homicide in Howard Beach and the cold-blooded execution of an Ozone Park imam. The most recent tragedy to have occurred, however, is not just a most outrageous act of violence, but also a stark reminder that we all share a responsibility to look out for those who can’t defend themselves. Ashdeep Kaur, just 9 years old, entered the bathroom of her Richmond Hill home with her stepmother on the night of Aug. 19. The child would never again be seen alive. The stepmother, 55-yearold Shamdai Arjun, fl ed the home, and hours later, others in the residence would discover the young girl dead in the bathtub, a victim of strangulation. Detectives would later fi nd Arjun at her ex-husband’s home, and she would subsequently be charged with murder. The ex-husband was charged for allegedly interfering in the investigation. The reports that came out in the wake of this horrifying murder revealed that Arjun repeatedly abused Kaur in the days and weeks leading up to the child’s death. “She was not treating her really good,” Manjinder Singh, the victim’s uncle, told the New York Daily News. “The girl told me she got beat up by her. Twice she told me she grabbed her and threw her on the bed. I was not thinking she would kill her.” In the criminal complaint, however, a witness told police that Arjun allegedly said as recently as Aug. 16 that she would kill Kaur. Other relatives also reportedly said they had seen Arjun allegedly hit Kaur in the past, but never believed it rose to the level of blatant abuse. Undoubtedly, many of Kaur’s relatives feel tremendous guilt along with overwhelming grief that they couldn’t have prevented this tragedy from occurring. No family should have to endure grief in such a manner, but no family should remain quiet if they witness an adult abusing a child — or if they see signs that a child is being abused. They must intervene. New York state law requires that no fewer than 42 different types of employees to report suspected cases of child abuse. These “mandated reporters” include doctors, teachers, police offi cers, paramedics, social workers and licensed counselors. In the end, however, every one of us is a mandated reporter when it comes to defending the lives of the vulnerable. The victims of abuse cannot wait for a licensed professional to rescue them. Our city’s security lives by the motto, “If you see something, say something.” That motto should also be applied to suspected cases of child abuse. We must make sure that every child in Queens is in the care of responsible, protecting parents. We must not allow child abuse cases to be ignored. sun WWW.COURIERSUN.COM VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS BOB BRENNAN ROBERT POZARYCKI AMY AMATO-SANCHEZ NIRMAL SINGH STEPHEN REINA RON TORINA, JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ, CHERYL GALLAGHER KATRINA MEDOFF, ANTHONY GIUDICE, ANGELA MATUA SUZANNE MONTEVERDI KATARINA HYBENOVA CLIFF KASDEN, SAMANTHA SOHMER, ELIZABETH ALONI JACLYN HERTLING DEBORAH CUSICK WARREN SUSSMAN CELESTE ALAMIN MARIA VALENCIA VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS PUBLISHER & EDITOR CO-PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF VP, EVENTS, WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA ART DIRECTOR ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR ARTISTS STAFF REPORTERS DIGITAL EDITOR CONTRIBUTING REPORTERS EVENTS COORDINATOR ASSISTANT TO PUBLISHER SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE CLASSIFIED MANAGER CONTROLLER PRESIDENT & CEO VICE PRESIDENT Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441 www.qns.com editorial e-mail: [email protected] for advertising e-mail: [email protected] Entire Contents Copyright 2016 by The Courier Sun identify this PLACE All letters sent to THE COURIER SUN should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and offi ce telephone numbers, where available, as well as affi liation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE COURIER SUN. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE COURIER SUN within fi ve days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. VIctoria Media Services assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold THE COURIER SUN and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. Photo: Ron Torina/QNS
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