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I have
been battling a legal system that should protect
women and their children from domestic violence. In
1996 pregnant with our son Edward Munao hit me and
pushed me into the wall, he called the cops and was
arrested. I did not pursue the charges, I did not
want any problems: concerned for my baby. Munao was
irate calling me telling me it was my fault and
calling me every curse name he could use. I prayed
for him to get help and hoped he would change.
Our son
born in February 1997. A beautiful healthy boy
brought joy to our lives. We were both excited
despite past problems. Munao even wrote me stated
“I admire your strength. I want to let you know
that I will always be there for you and our son. I
can’t say I won’t make mistakes but I can promise I
will try my best. Thank you for believing in me and
not giving up on me you’re the only one in my life
that hasn’t including my parents. I will always be
in your debt for that and I thank you. I have a lot
of learning to do and I am trying. Regardless of
what happens between us I will never shut you and
Nikko out everything I do I will do for you two.” I
always remember these words. I believe that is why
I always tried to rescue Edward Munao. That is why I
took the abuse always hoping for a change. He is
the father of my two children, I put aside he only
pays $22 per child and I have to work two jobs to
support my family and in doing so, I am belittled to
my children. Munao lives off his inheritance but
does not give his children any extra. He is selfish
to the needs of his own children. He uses my work
ethics as a negative focus with the children to make
himself look good, I am a mother who provides for my
children and I maintain their needs I don’t believe
anyone can raise two children on forty dollars a
week. It is a joke but there again the system does
not allow a father to produce for his children. He
does not even pay his child support on time. I as
the mother work two jobs to make up the difference
of Edward Munao’s lack of interest .
In May
1997 Edward Munao came to me he was suicidal and
needed help. This was not the first time, he almost
overdosed on GHB a month prior in the parents home.
I offered help. I brought him to a
psychiatrist
who gave medication to him the Doctor told him he
must stop all recreational drugs and steroids for
the treatment to be effective. I was happy we found
help, but it only lasted six months. Pregnant again
in 1998 Munao took off to California so he could
have access to Tiawana, Mexico and the steroids he
needed so he could get bigger for his body building
show. Two days after he came home he was in a car
accident, broke his neck , under the influence of
drugs. I was thankful he was alive I was also
thankful our son was not with him in that car. Our
relationship ended four weeks before our daughter
was born due to his drug use, emotional and physical
abuse. Once again pregnant he hit me but this time
he broke my wrist, threatened to kick my stomach as
he threw me to the ground. Munao also threatened to
take our son. I was afraid . I was sickened
emotionally, and physically injured. I called the
doctor immediately due to the contractions and pain
I was feeling. I told her I fell. This was no fall
but the normal stuff that would happen when he was
screwed up. I started to blame myself for letting
this go on and I knew I could never continue this
relationship from that day forward I never did. I
knew I must stop this insanity.
Our son
who was three in 2002, told me “Mommy has to die”,
after he came home from a visit with his dad. I
knew my son did not come up with this on his own, he
was only three. The emotional mind games started
and the manipulation with our son. What child wants
their parent to die? I had no idea what the years
ahead would bring each year the emotional abuse
would worsen.
I have
been fighting a system that I thought would help
women like myself, but in turn I have been ridiculed
and put down. I know Munao knew I was not going to
harm his son nor did he feel I was abusing the
kids. It is always everyone else’s fault but their
own when reality it is their fault Munao does not
want to take responsibility for his own actions
against others. He will lie his way out of a
situation as he did in this courtroom. He told me
he would make my life miserable and he would torture
me. He laughed at me and would tell me no judge, no
cop , not even your boyfriend will keep you safe.
Well, that is not enough, he then in turn
emotionally confused our son giving him cues to be
abusive. He was teaching our healthy boy to be
aggressive. A child does not know this. Munao is
aggressive and abusive. I know he needs help.
I was
denied victim compensation under F.S.960.03(a) and
960.13(1)(a) which defines the term "crime” as the
commission of a felony or misdemeanor which results
in physical injury or death. The incident in
question did not result in physical injury or death,
and thus , a compensable “crime “ did not occur. My
son was also denied victim compensation. How
shocking. Here is a boy who is emotionally
disturbed who is diagnosed with oppositional defiant
disorder who suffers from a psychological injury due
to this crime, but the State and the media wanted to
use my son’s emotional state as a preexisting
condition. No one mentioned that this boy has
unconditional love for his father and looks up to
him so when his Dad says something he does it.
There is no need to work on the weakness of a
child. Munao knew what he was doing to our son. My
son has suffered severe emotional and mental
anguish. He is experiencing night mares of his mom
getting killed, he has sleepless nights afraid to go
back to sleep. I have to wake up with him and
assure him I’m ok nothing will happen to me. I
don’t know what will happen down the road but I do
know that my son is a victim in this case. As a
minor, his trauma, was lightened so jurors would
believe here is this emotional troubled kid acting
out....when in turn, no one mentioned how he was
prior to this and how he is doing after this
happened. I am a mother, a victim who has been
violated by Munao and the legal system. I was in
dismay that my witness I wanted to use to show the
court that my son talks about his trauma was not
used due to hearsay. Yet there is law for hearsay
exceptions: statement of child victim(a) an out of
court statement made by a child victim with a
physical, mental, emotional, or developmental age of
11 or less describing any act of child abuse or
neglect or on the declarant child, not otherwise
admissible is admissible in evidence in any civil or
criminal proceeding. This was not the case so the
jurors were lead to believe I changed the tapes
admitted info but here is a child telling his
teacher on his own will about his trauma telling his
teacher his dad told him to get a knife and kill his
mother, and if he did not do it his dad would. The
teacher was horrified. Yet those facts are hearsay
and irrelevant! I don’t believe so, my son knows
what his dad said is breaking the law , he knows now
that daddy was wrong and if daddy ever hurts his
mommy he wants him to be put in jail for life. Yet
it doesn’t matter what this child wants or he feels
because he is a monster and emotionally distresses.
Are victims on the stand? Are victims made out to
be the bad guys? It is the victims fault, they
spoke out in fear and tried to get help.
However,
this is what always happens here in court it is
nothing more than a three ring circus. We have laws
in black and white, we have judges, and attorneys
who all put on a show. It is appalling to know that
this show was at the expense of an eight year old
child and a mother who knows it will be a matter of
time before something severe happens. Maybe then
the Attorney General’s office will give my son the
compensation he deserves maybe then the laws will
look to the emotional injury my family has
encountered. This is not a show nor a game it is
my life, my son, my daughter's too. Does the state
of Florida have to see the physical abuse or hear of
my death to realize the severity of my case?
I have
petitioned the courts for help since 2002, realizing
I had a problem each year it has worsened, each year
my life has changed I have been living in fear with
sleepless nights, anxious, worried and afraid. I
will not let these emotions take over my life. I
have been left to deal with the trauma which has
impacted my family. I have been trying my hardest
to put my children’s life together and give them
peace, love and comfort knowing that I am and always
will be there for them. I have requested help
through the Attorney General’s office and got denied
as I mentioned, I have also been encouraged that
Munao will have rights to his children when he
completes his case history from DCF, even though, he
has a felony charge of child abuse. I also want to
mention if the abuse had been physical DCF might
have been a bit harsher on their case plan and also
I would have received victim compensation for my son
and myself.
I will
request that the State look at the bigger picture,
you have a man who uses drugs with past psychiatric
problems, abusive both emotionally and physically to
women and children and has past record of abuse and
drugs . He has a past record of violating probation,
he has violated his injunctions, he has violated his
bond conditions and he has violated our children as
well as myself over and over again. If that is not
enough he is not true to himself he will not admit
his faults he feels like he is the victim. He
clearly stated on the jail tapes played in court she
will have to get hurt for this one.....Hurt a lesser
word now ...but I assure you I am here today and I
will not allow my life to be victimized by anyone.
There is no justice when justice uses blindfolds to
protect the criminals. There is no justice when a
innocent child gets scarred for life. Those
thoughts will linger with him always and no money
can take that away.
One must
take in to consideration that Munao needs help.
Munao needs to be evaluated himself . How does
someone find justice in a system that is unjust? If
Munao goes to jail how will that help him with the
children? How will that get him the proper
psychological treatment he needs to better himself?
There are no guarantees in life, I don’t know what
tomorrow will bring.
I know my
family will get through this there is no difficulty
that enough love will not conquer; it makes no
difference how deeply seated maybe the trouble a
sufficient realization of love will dissolve it
all....If only you could love enough you would be
the happiest and most powerful person in the world.
The piece to this puzzle is how do you help Munao ?
I believe in my heart he needs to be in a program
for substance abuse, I believe he needs counseling
regularly. I know the state will consider options
for him even if jail time is granted, it will be
imperative to allow Munao to work on his emotional
well-being because if he does jail time and does not
due this you will have an angry man. He is already
filled with anger and hate due to his drugs. I can
state If this If that, the bottom line is I need
help! I need someone to hear my plea. I need to
find peace, I need to feel safe. No one can imagine
what this feels like ; I have always looked out for
Munao.
Jodi R. Walsh
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