Ben will probably be just fine...the other boy...not so much.
Sadly, I agree, though I pray we are both wrong. I can't think of any punishment for the abductor that would actually provide just retribution for the damage he has done to Shawn Hornbeck.
Locked room...two baseball bats.....both father's..........15 minutes...........
Who knows? Some people are remarkably resilent, especially when transformed by the power of the Lord and supported by loving family. Others take great pride in their victimhood status, after experiencing relatively minor trauma.
Anyhow, I thought this was the most important part of the article:
"The captor who held Shawn Hornbeck for more than four years kept him from fleeing by threatening to kill the boy and his entire family, investigators said Monday.
That helps explain why Shawn, 15, freed Friday when police tracked a second kidnapped boy to an apartment in Kirkwood, did not seize ample opportunities to run or summon help, according to the investigators."
Shawn has a hard road to hoe, no doubt about it. But I would give him full room to recover. After all, he DID stay alive for over 4 years. People can be incredibly resilient. My best friend was sexually assaulted by her father who threatened to kill her family if she told. She's had a hard time too, but you'd never guess that she had such a past. He needs help--which he's NOT getting by the doubts expressed by the media. He's got great parents, so he's got a good chance of rebounding to health. A lot depends on him. I wish him the very best.