Comments on: Parents: Innocence Lost For Kidnapped Son

Shawn Hornbeck's Parents Tell CBS News He "Is Truly A Survivor"

[silvershark3]

It is really sad what this world is doing to these kids. Getting a news story on the air first before anyone else? These kids parents are to blame also. Elizabeth Smarts parents were smart. They took her home, shut the door and kept her out of the lime light so she could heal. This is what these boy's parents should be doing also. They will be scarred forever and having them shoved into the media will just make it worse. The parents are going to live to regret it.

[susanhelit]

Private???!!! Did someone say this is private? This is a crime - there's no reason to keep quiet, other than to avoid shaming the criminal! Shawn has nothing to be ashamed of, and this wasn't making love - it was rape, and that is nothing 'private'! This is not a part of his private life, this is a crime!

[alena11-2009]

By drawing public%u2019s attention, Shawn and his parents trying to make a difference and make sure that something like this will never happen to another child, maybe even yours. Law makers really should think of a harsher punishment without parole for anybody who abuses or takes life from a child. And I mean anybody, it can be a local priest, parent itself or any other sick predator. With media expose Shawn and his parents will have a great shot to make it happen.
By the way with horrifying statistics like 800 000 kids are missing I am surprised that we do not have national %u201CThe Real Red Pages%u201D book distributed to every door and organization. I think missing kids deserve to have a better chance to be rescued and parents to be aware of the predators. I would put missing child photo along with the progressed photo. Also all predators and serial killers should be listed in this book and organized by state with the updated information on when they are getting on parole what their last and current residence and current occupation. And if any of them will try to scream that this is a violation of their privacy, let%u2019s remind them that they lost this right and privilege by hearting a Person. The luckiest children who survived are going to deal with their hurt for the rest of the life. I think it is only fare that people who hurt them should never go free of consequences. Unfortunately many of them still do.

[alena11-2009]

With 800 000 kids missing in USA it is about time that media%u2019s attention turned to victims. We hear a lot how the rights of the killers and predators are protected. Who is going to speak for the victims? Let%u2019s face it, not too many of them left alive and have courage to fight for their rights and rights of the others. And honestly, we are not the ones who dedicated past several years in searching a missing kid or trying to survive in captivity terrorized by 300 pounds men with a gun. Shawn was protecting parents he loved from being killed and tried to survive. Let%u2019s not be Hippocrates, most of us adults know that people who prey on our children do not kidnap them to play %u201Cchess and checkers%u201D. Shawn was silent long enough. There is no shame for this young man in telling in what was done to him. People who kidnapping and continuously raping children should be ashamed as well as people who are silently letting it happen and ignoring the fact that 800 000 children are still missing in USA. There are a lot of concerns about possibility of other kids being cruel to Shawn in a future. I think we should have a bit more face in our children, not all of them are cruel. One of them helped to crack a case. And let's not forget that it is parent%u2019s responsibility to explain and help their child to understand that it could happen to any of them.

[missut2]

You would think that the police and FBI investigators would request that the boys and their families NOT make all these TV appearances. Could these appearances compromise the charges and conviction of Low-life Devlin?

I guess nothing is sacred or private any more...for some reason, the public thinks they have a "right" to know all the details.

[yoopermom]

I read somewhere that Devlin's family released a statement. I am just wondering where were they? How did he explin the sudden appearance of Shawn?

Someone wrote that they didn't see Ben's family running to the media. Actually they were also on Oprahs show.

I am also upset that Oprah felt the need to ask about sexual abuse. She should have been more sensative toward Shawn. SHe has proven that anything goes when it comes to ratings!!! She has lost my respect for her.

[mamma61]

I honestly think it's about time, the media, the public, and the "Good Old" USA, leave these people alone!!! As well as the 13 yr old, Ben, and his family. Just let these boys deal with this in their own ways, with the love of their families, when the time is right- officials will find out what they need to know. Put yourselves in their parents shoes,(I hope you never have to)- But for now, PLEASE, give them the peace they deserve. Thank You...

[asor1-2009]

Oprah is just one of the jerks now, nothing sacred to her. She is publicity hungry and has BAD manners. Leave him and his family alone!

[brismom1]

dkquaid %u2013 Re:Media - seriously think about this - how would you feel if someone came up to you after an experience like this and asked you if your child was sexually molested? I bet you would tell them to go to **. What happened to those boys is between them, the parents, the doctors (psychologists, etc.) and the police. If it does come out in the future that they were molested I hope it comes out for a just purpose and not because the media had to know. How morbid a society as a whole we've become that parents are asked if the children were "touched". 30 years ago no one would ever have even considered asking the parents of a child a question like that to get %u201CThe Quote%u201D. And I don't think the parents of a child should actually answer that kind of question. It's called RESPECT for the victim. I was a little naive in thinking that Oprah would have more compassion than that as an abuse victim herself. How many years did it take her to admit it? Why on earth would she ever think that this boy wants the world to know about this only a week after he's been found? I can only imagine it's even more detrimental for a boy to go through something like this. Give the boys some room to get used to life again. Give them a sense of security. Let them deal with the experience (from being taken, kept, found and everything in between that may have happened to them) their own way. Let them talk about it in their own time. They will let the media know when they are strong enough.

[kevzgrl]

Hey, kimden1 - you were talking about "preparedness" earlier - how the parents could have prevented this from happening. How do you "prepare" for something like this? One boy was riding his bike and one just got off the school bus - were Dad and Mom supposed to be riding along behind the bus watching over Ben? Should Shawn's parents have been hiding in the trees along the road he was riding on, watching him to make sure some sick creep didn't snatch him up? Put a skinny little 11 year old (or 13 year old, for that matter) next to a 300+ pound, over 6 foot tall man and tell me how "prepared" they could have been to prevent this? You are trying to put the blame on the victims and their families and that's almost as sick as the perpetrator of these horrible crimes against CHILDREN. I hope he rots in his jail cell (Hear that, mr defense attorney? What possible "facts" could come out to excuse this???) Preparedness, my butt!