Hassan Razzaq, a 19-year old teenage boy, is being held at Rikers Island and is charged with 2nd degree murder. He is facing 25 years to life in prison. He is being accused of murdering his father. However, Hassan is NOT a murderer. What people may not know is that Hassan grew up in an extremely abusive environment. Over many years, he would come home every day awaiting the cruel machinations of abuse inflicted upon him by his 56-year old father, Mohammad Razzaq. By all means, he is not a perfect boy. He has flaws like everyone else. Although he seemed like a normal person on the outside, he was actually someone in dire need of help. Hassan suffered excruciating pain and abuse at the hands of his father - abuse ranging from forcing his head in the toilet, banging his head through house walls and daily barrages of his father's fists. He would witness his sisters being subjected to similar torture and believed that things would not always be like this. But unfortunately, the father's violence increased daily. The threats to his life and the lives' of his family members frightened and dissuaded Hassan from seeking help. Who knew when his father would make good on these threats? The father was a cruel and heartless man. The very day he returned from a month's long overseas business trip the abuse resumed. He grabbed his youngest daughter by her hair and dragged her across the floor, accusing her of wearing shorts and hanging out with boys. He also threatened another daughter, stating ”I can cut you up your body, put you in a suitcase and dump you somewhere no one could find you."

Seemingly every week Mohammad Razzaq went on a rampage where he would beat Hassan and his sisters and then verbally abuse multiple family members. These same family members were held in isolation from the family, further distancing the children from help. Hassan suppressed his built up rage over so many years. Neighbors, police officers and child services were frequent witnesses to what was going on in the home. One nearby neighbor Robert said, "Screams were always coming from the home, police would arrive every other day.” He also stated, “he was beating that kid all day." Many neighbors knew what the family was going through and did not show any sadness towards the father's death. His depraved actions and brutality were well known among family members, neighbors, and law enforcement alike. The father's actions severely damaged Hassan's psyche and turned his mother into a schizophrenic woman. This 19-year old abused boy, along with his sisters, has suffered extreme mental, sexual and physical abuse. Thus, his case should be considered a form of self-defense; pent-up anger over so many years that has resulted in this tragedy. Let us understand the causes and not solely focus on the result of one night. Hassan is an innocent young man and he shouldn't be punished further. Instead he should be given help-help he has desperately needed for much of his life. He is a VICTIM of the abusive circumstances that occurred in this family, and for them he made the ultimate sacrifice. Hassan did not take the law into his own hands. Our justice system should not condemn him and add insult to the injury. It's time for us as a society to help Hassan and his family, not punish them even further.