PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Buttry also admitted she had reported, to a doctor, possible sexual assault on her daughter by a man to whom she was married years ago. She said a doctor told her that the child’s behavior indicated it appeared the claim actually happened but advised that, if she was leaving the offender, she would be better off letting it go. That point was excluded from testimony in the first trial and was one of the reasons the appellate court remanded the case. Burgund has been free on $100,000 cash bond since last August."
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STORY: "Jury hears interviews of allegedly abused children at sexual assault trial," by reporter Sanford J. Schmidt, published by The Telegraph on May 10, 2018.
A jury Thursday heard a video recording of a little girl saying her alleged attacker touched her in her private area and caused her to bleed. The girl, who was 3-years-old at the April 2011 interview with a police officer, said she was afraid of the attacker because he hit her and told her she was dumb. The video was shown at the trial before Circuit Judge Kyle Napp of Michael S. Burgund, 35, of Alton, who is charged with six counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. He is accused of acts of sexual penetration on children ages 1 and 3. The older child, a former household member of Burgund, said she was a afraid of him because of the alleged assault. She reportedly volunteered the information at the Child Advocacy Center with no prompting from the interviewer. The child also told the interviewer, Kim Mangiaracino, the she also saw the defendant touch her 1-year-old sister. She also described other acts of sexual penetration but in terms of what the defendant called the “frog game.” Mangiaracino said the amount of detail given by the child added to her credibility. “Details are important in young children because it gives you a better idea of what may have been happening at that time,” she said.The jury also heard testimony from Mary Buttry, the grandmother of the victims. She said she heard possible physical confrontations between Burgund and his wife, Melissa Burgund, but she also said she slowly developed concerns about the children’s behavior and the defendant’s behavior. She told about the first time she became concerned was when she was changing the older girl’s diaper. “She pointed to her genital area and said “dada,” Buttry said on the witness stand. She testified that the older victim repeated the phrase “I’ll never see my family again.” The toddler said it so often, it added to her concern, Buttry said. Along the line, she confronted Michael Burgund, and he denied any wrongdoing, but at one point he said, “If (the victim) says I did it, I must have, but he didn’t want to tell everything or he would go to jail.” Eventually he admitted what he had allegedly done and reported it to Alton police. Buttry denied having coerced Burgund into a false confession, as defense attorney Curt Dawson suggested in his opening statement. This week’s trial is the second for Burgund. He was convicted in 2012, but the Fifth District Appellate Court remanded the case. At his first trial, Burgund testified that he believed Mary Buttry has a supernatural power, called “discernment,” given by God, that made him believe he had done the acts to which he confessed. Buttry on Thursday denied having any such gift and denied having told Burgund that she had it. She said her perceptions were that of a close relative of the children. “I didn’t coerce or manipulate him,” she said. Buttry also admitted she had reported, to a doctor, possible sexual assault on her daughter by a man to whom she was married years ago. She said a doctor told her that the child’s behavior indicated it appeared the claim actually happened but advised that, if she was leaving the offender, she would be better off letting it go. That point was excluded from testimony in the first trial and was one of the reasons the appellate court remanded the case. Burgund has been free on $100,000 cash bond since last August."
The entire story can be found at:
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Jury-hears-interviews-of-allegedly-abused-12905939.php
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/c
