Eating an ice cream cone in the living room of the south Minneapolis apartment where he lives with his mom and little sister, Miguel Torres Jr. is a normal 12-year-old boy - save for the 20 stitches and 14 staples that crisscross his body.

Just days before, he awoke from a medically induced coma following a May 6 knife attack at the hands of his mother's ex-boyfriend. Miguel's wounds are a grim reminder of how children - frequently young boys - are caught up in the violence of domestic abuse. Despite the severity of his injuries, Miguel survived and is recovering. In recent cases of intimate partner violence, other boys his age were killed by their mother's partner or ex-partner.

Last week an Olivia, Minn., man was sentenced to nearly 17 years for the 2022 murder of 13-year-old Isaac Hoff. The boy's mom was being assaulted by her boyfriend Houston A. Morris when she grabbed a knife to protect herself. Morris took hold of it and stabbed the teenager.

https://www.startribune.com/12-year-olds-stabbing-reflects-dangers-for-children-caught-in-the-crossfire-of-domestic-violence/600276037/