How many children must be hurt, die or disappear before people will realize that leaving a child with a boyfriend or girlfriend whom you have not known for very long is not child safe? This week alone in the news are several cases of significant others abusing or losing a child.

In Saint Louis, one of the worst cases of child abuse leading to death according to the Saint Louis County police involves a 14-month-old baby whose mother came home to find her on the floor next to her bed. She picked her up believing she had simply fallen out of the bed instead she realized her child was dead. Little Josie was covered in bruises and the abuse she must have sustained at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend in simply incomprehensible.

The boyfriend is 18-year-old Anthony O'Neal. O’Neal is in jail, charged with first-degree murder and has a 250,000-dollar cash only bond. Brittany Blanks is Josie’s mom who maintains what he is accused of doing is not something he is capable of since he is simply too nice of a person. What possesses someone to beat a crying baby thinking it will help the baby stop crying?

In Florida, 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings is still missing. This week her father Ronald Cummings married his 17-year-old girl friend of approximately 6 months. Misty Croslin (now Misty Cummings) was the last person to see Haleigh before she disappeared in the early morning hours of February 10.

There are inconsistencies in Misty’s stories to the police about where the little girl was sleeping the night of her disappearance. During a subsequent interview with police, the 17-year-old halted the questioning and refused to answer any more questions. She claimed the police officer was rude. Children and Family services have been involved with the family, no word as to what the involvement may regard.

Why suddenly marry the last person to see your 5-year-old daughter alive? Ronald Cummings is voicing his discontent that his sudden proposal and marriage to his 17-year-old girlfriend is taking attention away from Haleigh’s disappearance. Misty’s mother was required to sign consent for her daughter to marry Ronald Cummings who is 25, due Misty being under the age of 18, which is the legal age of consent to marriage in Florida. Is there not a law regarding the age differences of a 25-year-old man dating a 17-year-old girl?

According to Misty, she awoke to find the 5 year old missing and a door to the doublewide mobile home propped open. The area around the mobile home in Satsuma Florida is very densely wooded and 44 sex offenders live in a 5-mile radius. Misty claims to have awaken and found the little girl missing in the middle of the night, yet a call to 911 did not take place until after Ronald Cummings arrived home from work that morning. Ronald Cummings also has a 4-year-old son Ron, Jr. who was also asleep in the home the night his 5-year-old sister disappeared.

There are so many unanswered questions, yet Haleigh is still missing. Do you know where she is? Please call your local police or FBI if you know where or what happened to Haleigh Cummings.