Jordan Henry, a mother accused of not stepping in to save her child from her abusive boyfriend, was sentenced to jail in the Monroe County Circuit Court recently. The 27-year-old Wyandotte woman appeared before Judge Michael A. Weipert, who scolded her for her role in her toddler’s death.

“Why do you vouch for someone beating your child?” the judge asked at one point during the hearing. In addressing the court, the judge stated that Henry had known what was happening to her child. “Nobody can persuade this court that she did not. She knew what was going on with this child.”

The judge’s reaction had a lot to do with the extent of the child’s injuries before his death. According to court documents, the little boy died from blunt force trauma to the head, but his other injuries were extensive. Judge Weipert, who also sentenced Henry’s boyfriend, Roger Schear, called his treatment of the toddler “barbaric,” and said that it would haunt him forever.

Schear was sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison for the abuse and murder of 2-year-old Caius Henry, crimes which he plead no contest to as part of a plea deal. But Henry herself, although she did not abuse her son in any capacity, was accused of failing to protect him from Schear.

When asked for an explanation as to why she never protected Caius from Schear, Henry said, “I stopped thinking for myself. I hate myself. I can’t forgive myself for not seeing what was going on.” However, very few people in the court that day were sympathetic to her plight. And in the opinion of Monroe County Assistant Prosecutor Allison M. Arnold, there are those who believe that she is just as guilty as Schear for her passive collaboration.

But there are those who believe that Henry was also a victim, just like her son, under the cruel tyranny of Schear. As Henry’s defense attorney explained, “She was a good mother. She really cared for this young boy. But she had some issues.” He also told the court that she had come from a loving family, with a father who was a respected physician.

Although Henry’s attorney asked the judge to only sentence her to time served which would have been 66 days, Judge Weipert disagreed. Instead, he sentenced Henry to nine months in jail, which is the maximum sentence that Michigan law allows for a third degree child abuse conviction.