"Look, shut that brat up or I'll shut her up."

"When we get to the emergency room, you tell 'em you fell down, hear me? You fell down the front steps."

Teacher: "I tried to talk with her mother about it at the conference, but she just kept saying the girl was clumsy, over and over. And she's not. I see her every day in class, and the child is not clumsy. But she always has a blue mark somewhere on her arms or legs, and she's so quiet. And the other day when I leaned over her to check her work, she flinched, like she thought I was going to... I really think something is going on there. Who do I report it to?"

Doctor: "That was a nasty gash your daughter got, sir. She says she fell against a window. This... isn't your first time to bring her into this emergency room, is it?"

Daddy: "Shut up, shut up, shut up! God damn it! C'mere, you..."

Mommy: "Don't you dare say things like that, you demon! How dare you accuse your father of such filthy things! Liar!"

Mommy:"No! For God's sake, not with the buckle end! You want to have to explain those marks again?"

Child: "Please, Daddy, no. Please..."

Neighbor: "...don't wanna get involved, but they just beat on the kid, all the time. No, not spank, beat. I can hear 'em. Thump, thump, thump, and the kid hollers, and some more thumps. Then tonight it went on, and on, and on, and then the kid was screamin', and you you can tell when they're just pissin' around and when it's real hurt, you know. And then it just stopped. Look, I think you better come over..."

Policeman: "Jesus Christ! Get the ambulance! Get the ambulance right fucking now!"

Prosecuter: "Records show a history of cuts, contusions, burns, and broken bones extending back to infancy. X rays show numerous fractures, some old, some half-healed. Body exhibited numerous bruises, photos are exhibits 42, through 53. Age ten there was a gash to the right palm that required over fifty stitches to close, and resulted in partial loss of mobility due to tendon and nerve damage. Autopsy showed severe bruising and laceration of the genitals and anus, indicating both recent and prolonged sexual abuse. And you still insist, sir, that you have no idea how your daughter came to be in this state, and how she was killed?"

Jury Member: "Dear God, why didn't somebody stop them?"