OK Non-Profit On Mission To Bring Awareness To Child Abuse

<p>Child advocates with the group Save Our Youth say the death of a 2-year-old boy is the 10 suspicious child death in Tulsa and the surrounding areas in the last two months.</p>

Wednesday, February 17th 2016, 6:11 pm

By: News On 6


Tulsa police made an arrested connected to a 2-year-old boy who died in his Tulsa home Tuesday night. Investigators say the child’s mother called 911 and told dispatchers her son was dead.

Tulsa detectives said they interviewed the toddler’s mother and her boyfriend, Brandon Taylor, for hours before they were released. Wednesday, Taylor was arrested.

Police say the boy had bruises on his face and body. The medical examiner will determine how the child died.

2/16/2016 Related Story: Tulsa Police Investigate Death Of 2-Year-Old Boy

DHS won’t confirm if there was an active case involving the child, but said no DHS worker was at the home on Monday and that they haven't received multiple calls about the home.

Child advocates with the group Save Our Youth, or SOY, say it’s the tenth suspicious child death in Tulsa and the surrounding areas in the last two months.

The non-profit organization is working with the child's family. They said, whenever a child dies suspiciously or needs help, they will be there.

While no criminal charges have been filed in the 2-year-old boy’s death, police say it is suspicious.

SOY said it's not their job to determine if it’s a crime, but to provide knowledge and help families when they need it most.

For a year now, SOY has worked to help the youth of Oklahoma and their families in crisis.

"We're not just there for one day, we are a ever present people," said Vice President of Operations, Sandra Gibbens.

When the 2-year-old boy was found dead inside the family home, SOY was there, in addition to police and investigators.

"When there's death like the one we experience yesterday, we go out and we help them find…we have a funeral home that we work with to try to assist them with provisions for funerals, we have councilors that are set up," Gibbens said.

The non-profit said they have a simple but important mission, to bring awareness to child abuse - both sexual and physical.

Gibbens said, "We do make an effort to try to make them, to get them in an area where they are able to get back into the community, to tell someone what they've been through."

We don’t know the cause of the boy’s death, but Gibbens said his death shines a light on an ever-growing problem. She said it’s the tenth child death she's responded to in two months.

"It's happening way too much, and I think the problem is we’re not educating enough. It’s people that’s seen these signs, it's things that are going on. There are signs out there, we have to know the signs," she said.

SOY said they often go to school and community events to educate people about the signs of child abuse.

They said they have been speaking to the family involved in Tuesday's investigation but couldn't go into detail.

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