Child abuse is a heartbreaking reality that continues to haunt us. In a recent case, 55-year-old Mikael Shane Pruett was sentenced to 200 years in prison for raping his 11-year-old granddaughter and getting her pregnant. He also sexually assaulted her 9-year-old sister regularly. This case serves as an important reminder that we all must take action against child abuse in our communities.
Pruett, from Stevensville, Montana was the guardian of both girls when he committed these heinous acts against them. The 11-year old victim became pregnant after being repeatedly raped by her grandfather and it was only then that Pruett was arrested. It came to light during questioning that he had been sleeping with both victims who were his granddaughters.
Adding more tragedy to this story is that the 9 year old girl reported witnessing these rapes while peeking through a hole in her bunk bed which she shared with her older sister. She further revealed how he would kiss her privates and ask her not to tell anyone about it or else they would get into trouble.
In July 2014, the younger sister spoke up about what she had witnessed and it wasn’t until August 2019 that the 11 year old gave birth to a baby boy fathered by Pruett himself. That same month he pleaded guilty but by then things were already too late for those poor children who faced such unimaginable pain at such an early age because of their own family member – their own grandfather.
At court on January 21st 2020 Ravalli County District Judge Jeffrey Langton stated his disbelief at how someone could lack any semblance of conscience when committing such atrocious acts against innocent victims like these two young girls who had no one looking out for them but him.
When asked if he had anything to say, Pruett replied “I’m so sorry” before bowing his head with tears streaming down his face. In response Langton sentenced him 100 years each on two counts of incest – ensuring he will spend decades behind bars never seeing freedom again as parole won’t be applicable until 105 years of age.
It is truly sad how young lives can be ruined from within due to horrible acts committed by close family members like this grandfather did with his two granddaughters whose innocence has now been taken away forever.
We must stand united against any form of child abuse wherever we come across it and ensure justice is served so no other innocent children have to go through what these two did just because they were vulnerable and alone without anyone protecting them from harm.
