The article below was printed in the The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. This news story is about an 8 year-old boy that was repeatedly abused, physically by his mother and step-father. The parents coerced the boys' older siblings to join in the abuse by abusing them, as well, if they didn't comply with the parents' requests. If you believe that Andreia Huffman and her husband Jason Dunikowski should receive the maximum sentence for their charges, then please sign this petition. Once there are at least 5,000 signatures, the Petition will be forwarded to the Judge presiding over the case in Cleveland, Ohio. A 15 year old boy had the courage to finally stand up for his brother and take a stand against these two adults. It would wonderful if we could forward this petition with your signature to let the Judge in this case, know that this child and his brother's voice have been heard by people who care.

Parents Arrested After Child Found Tied To Table In Cleveland Home, police say

By Mark Puente, The Plain Dealer April 29, 2010, 2:40PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland police arrested a couple early Thursday after finding their 8-year-old son tied to a coffee table with a broken nose. Andreia Huffman, 37, and her husband, Jason Dunikowski, 32, were jailed as detectives investigate them for domestic violence and child endangering. There were nine children, ages 3 to 17, in the home. One of the children, a 15-year-old boy, called 9-1-1 about 1:15 a.m. and reported that the 8-year-old was tied to the table, Sgt. Sammy Morris said. Officers arrived at the house on East 50th Street and found the 8-year-old on the floor. His hands and feet were bound behind his back with duct tape, and a shoelace was around his neck and feet tied him to the table, Morris said. Huffman was sleeping in a bed near the child, and Dunikowski was sleeping on a couch next to the table, police said. Officers found severe discoloration on the boy's hands, suggesting he may have been tied up for a long time, Morris said. They also found bruises on his hands and feet and his nose was broken, he added. The 8-year-old appeared to have been beaten daily, said Deborah Forkas, director of the Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services. The boy who called police told The Plain Dealer that he needed to take action after witnessing the incidents in the house. He said the family came to Cleveland about six years ago from Kentucky. "I couldn't deal with it anymore," he said in a telephone interview from the lobby of a social service agency. This is what happened when officers came to the house, according to the police report; Huffman told officers that her 17-year-old daughter tied up the boy. One of the other children then told officers that Huffman makes the older child tie the boy and slam his head into a wall. "I am not the only one who does it," Huffman yelled, "and I'm not the only one that's going to get in trouble." Dunikowski, father of the five youngest children, acknowledged that he knew about the child being restrained. The 15-year-old urged Dunikowski to confess what he does to the boy. "You did it, too," Huffman yelled. The 15-year-old said that Huffman repeatedly smashed the 8-year-old's face into the wall and pointed to a crack in the wall. An officer had the boy stand next to the crack and determined the crack matched up precisely to his face. A police supervisor asked Huffman why she didn't take the child to the hospital. "Just because I didn't," she replied. The 8-year-old boy then tugged on an officer's pant leg and pointed to a piece of wood wrapped with tape. "They hit me with that," the boy told officers. Another child confirmed it. Officers then handcuffed Huffman and Dunikowski. The other eight children did not have visible injuries. Social workers took custody of the kids -- two girls and seven boys -- and doctors evaluated them, Forkas said. The family has no history in Juvenile Court here, but Kentucky officials took custody of the kids several years ago, said Lynne Chavers, a Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court staff attorney. Huffman's mother, Betty, said she was not surprised by the allegations and is glad her daughter is in jail. "That's good," Betty Huffman said from Kentucky. "Please don't let her get those kids back."

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