Case Report: Disappearance of Emmanuel Haro and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report details the case of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro, who was reported missing on August 14 and is now presumed deceased. The infant’s parents, Rebecca and Jake Haro, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. The case highlights significant challenges in achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning child protection, justice, and well-being.

Case Developments

The investigation into the disappearance of Emmanuel Haro has revealed critical details that contradict the parents’ initial report. The sequence of events underscores failures related to SDG 16, which aims to end violence against children.

• Initial Report: The infant’s mother, Rebecca Haro, initially claimed she was attacked in a Yucaipa parking lot and that her son was kidnapped.
• Investigative Findings: The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department identified “inconsistencies” in the mother’s account, leading to the collapse of the kidnapping narrative.
• Arrests and Charges: Both Rebecca and Jake Haro were arrested at their Cabazon residence on suspicion of murder.
• Related Investigations: The couple is also linked to a separate child abuse investigation in Moreno Valley, indicating a potential pattern of behavior that contravenes child safety mandates.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Violations

This case serves as a critical example of the failure to meet specific targets within the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals framework.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The circumstances surrounding Emmanuel Haro’s disappearance directly conflict with the core tenets of SDG 16, which seeks to protect children and ensure justice.

1. Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The presumed murder of a 7-month-old infant is a severe violation of this target. The additional abuse investigation involving the parents points to systemic failures in protecting vulnerable children.
2. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law… and ensure equal access to justice for all. Court records show the father, Jake Haro, had a prior conviction for “willful cruelty to a child” in 2018. This history raises questions about the effectiveness of the justice and social welfare systems in preventing recidivism and safeguarding children from known offenders. The current legal proceedings against the parents are a critical test of the justice system’s ability to respond.
3. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The infant’s presumed death is a tragic statistic that this goal aims to eliminate.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The case also represents a failure to uphold fundamental rights to health and life as outlined in SDG 3.

• Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. The death of an infant, allegedly at the hands of his caregivers, is the epitome of a preventable death. This incident highlights a breakdown in the social safety nets designed to ensure a child’s right to survive and thrive.

Conclusion

The case of Emmanuel Haro is a profound illustration of the challenges faced in achieving a just and safe society. It underscores the urgent need for strengthening institutions responsible for child protection, ensuring the justice system is effective in preventing violence, and addressing the root causes of abuse. The community’s vigil for the infant reflects a societal demand for accountability and reinforces the collective responsibility to uphold the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the fundamental right of every child to a life free from violence.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article primarily addresses issues related to two Sustainable Development Goals:

   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This goal is central to the article, which revolves around violence against a child, the criminal justice process, and institutional responses to such crimes. The narrative of the missing baby, the parents’ arrest on suspicion of murder, the ongoing abuse investigations, and a prior conviction for child cruelty all fall under the umbrella of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and providing access to justice.
   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This goal is relevant because the article discusses the well-being and life of a 7-month-old infant. The child is presumed dead, which directly relates to child mortality. The context of abuse and violence highlights a failure to ensure a healthy life and promote well-being for a vulnerable child.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the issues discussed, the following specific targets can be identified:

   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The article is fundamentally about violence against a child. The parents are “tied to another abuse investigation,” and the father has a previous conviction for “willful cruelty to a child.” The disappearance and presumed murder of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro is the most extreme form of violence against a child.
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The parents were “arrested on suspicion of murder,” and the child is “presumed dead.” This directly relates to the target of reducing violence-related death rates.
   • Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. The presumed death of a 7-month-old infant due to suspected violence or abuse is a clear example of a preventable death of a child under five. The article highlights a failure to protect the child, leading to a tragic outcome that this target aims to eliminate.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   The article provides specific instances that serve as qualitative data points for official SDG indicators:

   • Indicator for Target 16.2 (Indicator 16.2.1: Proportion of children aged 1-17 years who experienced any physical punishment and/or psychological aggression by caregivers): While the article does not provide a statistical proportion, it gives concrete examples that contribute to this measure. The mention that the “Haros are also at the center of other reports of abuse” and the father’s 2018 guilty plea to “willful cruelty to a child” are direct instances of violence by caregivers, which this indicator tracks.
   • Indicator for Target 16.1 (Indicator 16.1.1: Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, by sex and age): The case of Emmanuel Haro, a 7-month-old male infant who is presumed dead and whose parents were “arrested on suspicion of murder,” represents a single, specific data point that would be included in the statistics for this indicator.
   • Indicator for Target 3.2 (Indicator 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rate): The presumed death of the 7-month-old baby is a case that contributes to the under-5 mortality rate. The circumstances described—suspected murder and a history of abuse—classify this as a “preventable death,” directly aligning with the focus of the target.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.	16.2.1: The article implies this indicator through specific cases of child abuse, including “other reports of abuse” and a past conviction for “willful cruelty to a child.”
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.	16.1.1: The suspected murder of the 7-month-old infant is a direct data point for the number of victims of intentional homicide.
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age.	3.2.1: The presumed death of the 7-month-old baby is an instance contributing to the under-5 mortality rate, highlighted as a preventable death due to violence.

Source: abc7.com