Expert questions whether 11-year-old Uvalde student should have testified

WASHINGTON — Perhaps probably the most notable witness at Wednesday’s House Oversight committee listening to on gun reform was one who didn’t attend in individual: Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old who survived the horrific mass capturing in Uvalde by smearing blood on herself and enjoying useless.

The committee introduced Wednesday, earlier than Miah was set to testify, that she would as a substitute share her story by way of a prerecorded video, which performed in the course of the listening to. But some, together with an skilled on youngsters’s well being and trauma, questioned whether Miah should have testified in any respect.

Wendy Ellis, assistant professor and director of the Center for Community Resilience at George Washington University, stated having Miah testify in individual would’ve been an excessive amount of — she hasn’t even had a month to course of what occurred, and testifying earlier than Congress is daunting and anxious for the adults who do it, not to mention a baby experiencing trauma.

Ellis stated whereas recording and presenting Miah’s testimony as a video in all probability helped reduce the quick influence, she nonetheless needed to inform the story once more.

“Now certainly, taking out the performance elements of this, and not having to be in front of a roomful of strangers with cameras, lessens the immediate trauma impact,” Ellis informed The Dallas Morning News Wednesday. “But every time she has to tell that story, that’s a retraumatization, particularly since this is such a new wound.”

Ellis stated there’s an extra consideration on the subject of making anybody, particularly youngsters, the pictures from a traumatic occasion that might stay perpetually on-line and link them with the occasion for presumably the remainder of their lives.

“Any time that she goes anywhere, her name is Googled, it’s always going to come up,” Ellis stated. “The idea that perhaps that video testimony might be the most widely spread video of her in her entire life, no matter what she accomplishes, is something that we as adults really have to take in consideration.”

When it involves coping with the long-term results of trauma, Ellis stated the important thing to returning to normalcy and therapeutic is feeling protected once more. But for Miah, that is perhaps simpler stated than carried out.

Miah stated throughout her testimony Wednesday that she doesn’t really feel protected at college, and worries one other capturing will occur.

“This was a prolonged period of time, it was an hour that she was under siege like this,” Ellis stated. “That is going to fundamentally change what she considers safe …There was no savior, no one was coming to save her, and in fact, she had to save herself. That is going to be something that will stick with her.”

Some Republicans additionally took concern with Miah testifying, utilizing Ellis’ level about prolonging long-term trauma to criticize the celebration throughout the aisle for together with her as a witness.

Rep. Andy Biggs, an Arizona Republican on the Oversight committee, stated throughout Wednesday’s listening to that the “most egregious thing that the Democrats did today” was to name Miah as a witness.

“They took a person — a young person, little Miah — who was traumatized two weeks ago, still suffering under obvious PTSD as she testified in that video, and bringing that poor little girl to relive this,” Biggs stated.

The congressman went on to say that it’s “particularly pernicious and outrageous” to have Miah, who’s nonetheless therapeutic from bullet fragments lodged in her again and having nightmares, relive the fear of the assault.

“If we’re talking about PTSD, you just prolonged the agony of that little child,” Biggs stated.

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., took concern in the course of the listening to with Republicans accusing her celebration of utilizing youngsters as political props.

“Despite suffering unimaginable pain our witnesses wanted – wanted – to share their story, even the young lady,” Kelly stated. “They have dared to hope that their trauma and heartbreak could be turned into something good. They are pleading with us to do our jobs.”

Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas Health and Human Services Wednesday to make sure all youngsters in Uvalde have entry to psychological well being assist providers.

“As these families begin to rebuild their lives, it is essential that the children of Uvalde have access to mental health treatment,” Abbott wrote. “Although we cannot erase what happened in Uvalde, we can ensure, through the coordinated efforts of HHSC, TEA, and other organizations, that every child in that community gets the support they need.”