FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — On a sun-drenched Monday morning inside the Capitol’s Enchanted Garden, Governor Andy Beshear dipped his hand into a box containing thousands of pinwheels and began passing them out to anyone within arm’s reach.
April is child abuse prevention and awareness month and the governor got a 4 ½ day head start on things by signing the proclamation along with several bills that’ll make the consequences for abusing a minor more stringent.
“When we fail those children and they suffer from the worst of the worst abuse, it is our job to seek justice on their behalf to put away the perpetrator,” the governor said before a big crowd in the rotunda.
Governor Beshear takes very seriously the campaign to end abuse against children as he saw the worst of the worst while serving as the Commonwealth’s top prosecutor during his time as attorney general.
It also helps that he’s a father to two young people, and First Lady Britainy Beshear is very involved in the mission as well.
“Will and Lila are the two miracles in our lives,” he said of his children.
Chris Hagans was probably once viewed that way as well at one time, but his childhood took a turn for the worse as he was with foster parents, and a victim of abuse. It all led to mental health issues, which oftentimes resulted in having accidental bodily functions as a small child.
“I showed them what I had done,” Hagans explained of the adults in the room. “I asked them to help clean because I had an accident. What they did is they made me turn the underpants inside out and walk to everybody in the house and repeat the words, ‘look at what I did. Look at what I did,’” he recalled.
Hagans is 25 now, employed, and said he has not forgotten what happened to him as a child but has forgiven his abusers. He wants every abuse victim to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
“I’m not exactly the superstar, I’m not in Hollywood, I’m not the President of the United States, but if you look at me now you would not know — be able to tell I’ve been through the things I’ve been through,” he stated.
Today’s proclamation is about preventing other young people from having to say the same in 20 years.
