An 8 year old adopted son of Matthew and Amy Sweeney ran away from home after yet another beating and sought help from a neighbor. The child had deep bruising across his arms and back that indicated that he received frequent brutal beatings, but was otherwise healthy. The neighbor reported the abuse and he was removed from his adoptive parents’ custody. The child had been adopted from Russia five or six years earlier and was being homeschooled.

Date: July 2012
Location: Bristow, Virginia