GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A Greensboro mother is frustrated by the hoops she had to jump through to get help for her son.
“There’s a lot we can do as mothers to help him,” Rodney Roberts Knight’s mother said.
Roberts-Knight was arrested twice in May and charged with indecent exposure, assault and intimidation. His mother says her son’s behavior is the result of a diagnosed mental illness, but she’s not alone in feeling that way.
Two Triad mothers have sons in detention for similar sexual offences they say stem from mental health issues. Because the boys are over 18, their mothers have limited roles to play and find it hard to get them the help they need.
“I want the victims to know … I am very sorry for what they went through … I’m not making excuses for my son, but he is sick,” Roberts Knight’s mother said.
She was a teenage mother determined to rise above the odds. Roberts Knight was a normal kid until she went off to college.
That all changed in March 2015, when she took Roberts-Knight to the doctor, and shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, she said.
“At first, every time we took him to the hospital, they would admit him after 72 hours. He’s an adult. He can make his own arrangements for discharge. I remember crying and begging the doctors, psychiatrists and therapists not to put him out. He’s not ready,” she said.
His seizures mean he can’t safely be with his family and is out on the streets.
“The words he used, the things he was saying. I’m not surprised, but the physical violence part is new to me,” Roberts-Knight’s mother said.
While Roberts Knight remains in custody, she is seeking disability benefits to cover the costs of full-time care at the facility.
“I just want him to be safe and I wish there was something I could change so he could live a normal life,” she said.
It’s a situation familiar to the High Point mother.
“When this started happening and the charges against my son started coming one after the other … I just didn’t know something was right with him,” Temperance Staton said.
Her son, Norrie Staton, is facing more than 10 charges of indecent exposure, stalking and sexual assault.
“He was a normal kid until he was a teenager and then his whole mindset changed. It’s really hard on me,” Temperance said.
Temperance applied for and was granted guardianship of her 20-year-old son, and she can now make decisions that are best for Norrie’s mental health.
“Sometimes you have to ask the community for help. Some people may be against it, but nothing can be done if you don’t stand up and make an effort,” Temperance said.
Norrie has been in custody since November and is still fighting to have him placed in a facility.
These mothers know their sons need to face consequences for their crimes, but they want to get to the root of what’s causing it: serious mental health issues.
“This system of deeming 18- and 19-year-olds adults is completely beyond their imagination. They should be able to make their own decisions and I think this needs to change,” Roberts-Knight’s mother said.
Whether or not someone has a diagnosed mental illness, if they come before the court they will want the police, judges and the system at large to prioritise the issue and ensure the right help is available immediately.
