Egypt Morales: South Carolina girl, 10, dies 9 years after father's brutal abuse, denied justice under state law
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA: Egypt Morales, a 10-year-old girl from South Carolina, has passed away after enduring eight-and-a-half years of severe brain damage inflicted by her father.
Her father, Joseph Morales, subjected his daughter to extensive abuse when she was just 17 months old, a horrific incident that left her with slim chances of survival. Though she defied the odds, Egypt lived the following nine years with profound brain damage, partial blindness, an inability to eat independently, and daily seizures.
Despite the unimaginable challenges she faced, Egypt's life came to a sad end on Monday, February 26, as she was rushed to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital, battling breathing issues.
Joseph Morales will not face homicide charges under state law
Morales, who pleaded guilty in 2016, received an 18-year prison sentence for child neglect resulting from shaken baby syndrome. Heartbreakingly, he will not face homicide charges under South Carolina law.
Egypt's mother and sole caretaker, Kaya Jackson, expressed her grief stating, "Everybody telling me she's in a better place, but I don't feel like she's in a better place. Her better place is with me." "I can't hold her hand. I can't love on her like I have been doing. I can't do nothing," reported WYFF.
Egypt Morales' severe disabilities from father's abuse
In addition to her daughter's disabilities, Egypt was quadriplegic, reliant on a feeding tube, and had cerebral palsy stemming from the abusive incident. "I wanted my baby to learn to ride a bike, and play with dolls with her siblings, it was stuff that my child deserved to do, and we couldn't do," Kaya shared.
Despite immediate efforts by the Laurens Police Department to explore additional charges for Morales, legal constraints, outlined in SC Code of Law 16-3-5, prevent homicide prosecution when injuries result in death at least three years later.
Victim's grieving family advocates for change in law
Morales, currently ineligible for parole, is anticipated to be released on June 9, 2030. Kaya, grieving her daughter's loss, vows never to give up the fight for Egypt, and the little girl's godmother, Traci Fant, says, "Maybe the justice will be us getting the law changed, so nothing like this happens to another family and they don't have to deal with this portion of it."
A funeral to honor Egypt's memory will be held on Monday at 12 pm at Watkins Garrett & Woods Mortuary.
