Retardation in Progress

Oregon Father Uses Stun Gun on 18 Month Old
By Christine Moers
A father in Albany, Oregon is accused of using a stun gun on his 18 month old son.
Capt. Eric Carter, of the Albany Police Department, told CNN's Dave Northfield, "You're talking about an 18 month old child, so it has to be excruciating. This would cause extreme pain to you or I."
Rian James Whittman, 23, is the man accused of using the weapon to electrically shock his son. He was arraigned on three counts of second-degree assault and criminal mistreatment. Whittman is a long-haul trucker who isn't home much, but has shown his violent temper when he isn't on the road, said neighbors. An unidentified neighbor told CNN, "Jennifer seems pretty nice. Rian is gone most of the time, but when he isn't he's usually drinking."
Whittman's wife Jennifer, 21, who was not named in the police report to media, reported the abuse on Saturday. Rian Whittman was arrested later that night, without incident, in the 1900 block of SE Hill Street, police said. He was held in the Linn County Jail.
Police say that the 100,000-volt stun gun removed from Whittman is similar to the type of stun gun authorities use on suspects. Carter said that the device was not a taser weapon, named for the manufacturer, but a much older model that must be applied against the person. The child showed the obvious signs of the weapon's use - burns or welts where the metal prongs had made contact with the skin, said authorities.
The young boy received treatment at a hospital before being taken into protective custody by the state Department of Human Services.
According to TBO-Tech, a stun gun is designed to affect the nervous system. Energy is pumped into the muscles in a rapid cycle. That, in turn, depletes blood sugar by converting it into lactic acid in seconds. The result is disorientation, loss of balance and leaving the victim confused and passive for several minutes.
TBO-Tech states on its web site, "As a general rule, a one-half second contact can repel and startle the attacker, giving some pain and muscle contraction. One to two seconds can cause muscle spasms and a dazed mental state. Over three seconds can cause loss of balance and muscle control, mental confusion and disorientation."
Detectives disclosed that Whittman had been utilizing the device over a three-week period. There were at least 10 incidences of use on the boy.

Ok so this story is almost a year old, but now this Rian Whittman is ONLY getting 4 years in prison. I think the wife should be charged also, for the simple reason of "not seeing" the previous 9 sessions of abuse on the poor child.