Child Abuse Awareness

GMA declares war on child abuse

2006-11-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has signed Proclamation 1137 declaring “Child Abuse Prevention Year” until October 2007, making the Philippines the first country to issue such a declaration. “It is time to take concrete actions nationwide to stop the threats to the health and welfare of our children,” Mrs. Arroyo said during the launching of the year-long program at the Asilo de San Vicente de Paul in Manila yesterday. Based on recent studies done by the University of the Philippines-Child Protection Unit and the Philippine Resource Network, more than 1.5 million Filipino children live on the streets, begging for food and often engaged in criminal activity with a third being prostituted. Another 3.5 million children from 5 to 17 years old are forced to work despite a legislation outlawing child labor.

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Pipe Creek man gets life for child abuse

2006-10-31T10:19:00.000-08:00

A Pipe Creek man who admitted sexually abusing five children has been sentenced to three life terms, plus four 20-year sentences, in what prosecutor Lucy Cavazos called one of the longest sentences handed down in the 216th District Court. John Robben Sr., 33, was due to stand trial in Bandera last Thursday but instead pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge Steve Ables. Cavazos said Robbens won't be eligible for parole for 120 years. The three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, which drew the life terms, and four counts of indecency concerned his abuse of three children younger than 8, Cavazos said, adding that Robben admitted during a pre-sentencing investigation to sexually assaulting two other youngsters. .

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US Leads World in Child-Abuse Sites

2006-10-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

The United States overwhelmingly leads the world in hosting child abuse Web sites, according to a new survey by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). The U.K.-based IWF claims over the last decade the U.S. is the source of 51 percent of sites featuring examples of child abuse, followed by Russia (20 percent), Spain (7 percent) and Japan (5 percent). Only 1.6 percent of the reported sites over the same period were traced to the U.K., a reflection of the different policies between the United States and the U.K. In the U.S., law enforcement officials tend to let child-abuse sites exist while conducting an investigation in hopes of not tipping off the site operators that an investigation is under way. The U.K., on the other hand, almost immediately issues a takedown notice when a site is discovered.

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Rwanda: Thousands Denounce Child Abuse

2006-10-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

In one week campaign against child abuse, thousands of residents in Muhanga District filled the stadium to denounce the vice, in the province last week. The campaign was organised by African Evangelistic Enterprises (A.E.E); a Christian based organisation in Rwanda. Parents and pupils chanted and displayed out placards reminding all people to protect the children from all sorts of violence and abuse. "We (children) cannot allow any more child abuse. We need a better future. Parents should respect the Rwandan child," pupils from eleven primary schools chanted: "Give the children a right to education, stop child abuse, and protect all vulnerable children." .

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Child Abuse Lawsuit Creates Immigration Waves

2006-10-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

(CBS) CHICAGO A child abuse lawsuit aimed at helping illegal immigrants stay in the country is creating some waves. Some people believe the lawsuit in support a Chicago mother and her son misses a critical point, and CBS 2's Rob Johnson reports that others believe it's right on target.The immigration debate has become one of America's most pressing issues. The latest salvo fired came last week with the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of children like 7-year-old Saul Arellano, whose mother Elvira is hunkered down in a Humboldt Park church fighting deportation. The suit names President Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, among others, and claims that such deportations are a form of child abuse."They should be able to live in this country with their parents and that is not happening," said Emma Lozano with the Center Without Borders.That strategy, says CBS 2 legal analyst Irv Miller, is a long shot."It's probably not going to be a class action, which is what the mom and the child want it to be to gain the notoriety," Miller said.But UIC child psychiatry professor Dr.

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Researchers find child abuse common in foster families

2006-10-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

ELEANOR HALL: As the Victorian Government grapples with a damning report on the abuse of children in foster care, child protection researchers say de-institutionalisation around the nation has failed. Monash University's National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse says there are hundreds of cases of abuse in foster care every year in Australia, and it's advocating an expansion of Government-run homes to help solve the problem. As Annie Guest reports. ANNIE GUEST: Researchers say states are failing to protect children, demonstrated by increasingly frequent reports of abuse and workers complaining they're unable to cope. Monash University's National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse wants a national approach including more child protection workers and earlier support for young families.

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Charity urges end to child abuse

2006-10-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Children's charity the NSPCC has urged the Government to introduce a broader range of measures to prevent the sexual abuse of children. The call comes in the same month the Home Office is due to publish its latest reports giving the number of sex and violent offenders supervised in the UK. The annual reports show how many of these offenders in England and Wales are monitored by police and probation officers under 42 local Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPAS). The NSPCC say weaknesses in sex offender management could leave children at risk and the Government needs to ensure agencies act together to protect every child. NSPCC director and chief executive Mary Marsh said: "There is real public concern about how well children are protected from sex offenders in the community and the NSPCC believes the Government is right to tackle this.

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National child abuse response 'too slow'

2006-10-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

A national comparison of child protection programs has criticised state and federal governments for their slow response to an increase in child abuse cases. The National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse at Monash University has found serious problems with child protection in all states and territories. Centre director Chris Goddard says the Federal Government needs to provide leadership on the issue with national early intervention campaigns. "It is a catastrophic problem to have so many referrals, every year, so many re-referrals, so many children," he said. "The number of children living out of home care for example is increasing year by year." The report has also found while the number of reported child abuse cases has doubled nationally in the past five years, the number of foster carers is dropping.

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Poster links meat and child abuse

2006-10-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

A poster linking eating meat with child abuse has been unveiled by an animal rights group in a County Durham town named as a national obesity blackspot. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) says Easington was targeted because of an obesity rate of 22% above the national average. It claims feeding meat to children is tantamount to child abuse as it is linked with life-threatening diseases. The Meat and Livestock Commission has branded the poster irresponsible. Marking the start of a national campaign, the poster is situated in a bus shelter on Seaside Lane in the town. 'Time bomb' It shows a podgy child about to eat a hamburger, with the tagline Feeding Kids Meat Is Child Abuse. Fight the Fat. GoVeg. Anita Singh, from Peta, said: "The damage caused by a meat-based diet is like a ticking time-bomb in kids.

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Researchers find child abuse common in foster families

2006-10-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Retaliation fears curb child abuse reporting

2006-10-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

TORONTO -- Fear of retribution is the No. 1 reason Ontario residents give for not reporting child abuse, a survey says. The survey, commissioned by the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies, also indicated more than 55% said they would shy away from reporting abuse by someone they knew well and 48% said they would be more likely to report someone they knew only casually. Jeanette Lewis, executive director of the association, said it's clear there is still a stigma about reporting child abuse. "Our fear is that the understandable discomfort involved in reporting possible mistreatment will result in a child being overlooked." Lewis said yesterday. .

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12:50 pm - Police make arrests on child-abuse cases

2006-10-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sandalina Kinataro Josa, 24, of Tamuning was arrested yesterday morning on charges of child abuse after her 2-year-old godson, whom she had been watching for the day, was found wandering on busy Marine Corps Drive in front of traffic-heavy Royal Hawaiian Apartments. A motorist picked up the child and contacted the police. The child is now back in the care of his parents. Josa was booked and released. Su Cha Ko, 41, of Tamuning was arrested on charges of child abuse after injuries were discovered on her 11-year-old sons body while her son was preparing for gym class. An investigation revealed that Ko had been disciplining the child for failing a home study test. Ko allegedly struck her son with a plastic clothes hanger, but after the hanger broke, Ko allegedly struck the child with a golf club throughout his body, legs and feet, police said.

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Child abuse suspect due in court

2006-10-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

FAYETTEVILLE -- A woman charged with neglecting and starving a handicapped child is expected to make her first court appearance Tuesday morning. Investigators say 35-year-old Stephanie Williams, of Spring Lake, withheld food and other services from a 12-year-old boy left in her care. The child weighed about 32 pounds when he was found, about 22 pounds below the normal weight for a child in his condition. A medical expert also confirmed he had marks that looked like rodent bites. The boy was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in September and has made significant improvements since then. Williams is charged with attempted first-degree murder, felony child abuse and five counts of juvenile neglect. .

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Boyfriend guilty of child abuse death

2006-10-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

TODAY: (Updated 5:05 p.m.) Ryan Miller was found guilty this afternoon of murdering 17-month-old Aalliyah Andrews Nov. 7 while baby-sitting at their East Moline apartment. After deliberating for more than 10 hours Thursday night and Friday, a Rock Island County jury returned the guilty verdict for first-degree murder around 3:15 p.m.As the jury was polled Aalliyah’s mother, Ashley Andrews, bobbed nervously on a courthouse bench while wiping tears from her face. Pat Lawless, a victim’s advocate for the Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s office, sat behind Andrews and rubbed her shoulders. Andrews was sitting next to Miller’s mother.While being led out of the courtroom, Miller, who was Andrews’ boyfriend, looked back toward her and his family, but his view was blocked by Rock Island County Sheriff’s deputies.Miller will be sentenced Nov.

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Hearing postponed for man accused of child abuse

2006-10-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

The preliminary hearing in the case against a Skiatook man charged with two counts of child sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated against two girls, ages 12 and 13, has been passed.Richard Ray King, 65, was scheduled to begin his preliminary hearing on Monday but the date was passed to Oct. 2.King was originally the subject of a quarter of a million dollar warrant on the charges, but the bond was reduced to $25,000 at his arraignment in March.According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, problems for King began when the victims in the case reported to a school counselor that King had molested them and that it had been "on-going and continuous." .

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Beach father charged with child abuse

2006-09-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Police arrested James C. Holden, 22, of South Clubhouse Road after investigating why his six-month-old child was having trouble breathing Wednesday morning. The child was taken to the hospital and then transferred to Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters. Police said doctors found that the child had severe injuries that didn't appear to have been caused by an accident. The child is being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit. .

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Child Abuse Charges Derail Paramedic's Career

2006-09-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, Wash. - A Clark County paramedic who apparently lied about a child sex abuse conviction has lost his job - more than four months after criminal charges were filed against him. Shayne Shults' certification was suspended in August when the accusations first came to light. Washington state regulators asked him for details and an explanation. When they got none, they revoked his certificate for the next ten years. According to the Washington Department of Health, Shults concealed a 1987 conviction for attemted indecent liberties with a child on various applications. He is also accused of injecting minors with an unknown substance as recently as 2004, while he was a paramedic for American Medical Response (AMR). None of the alleged offenses took place while Shults was on duty.

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When discipline becomes child abuse

2006-09-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

As stated in the Michigan Child Protection Law under section 2, item f, "Child abuse" means harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare that occurs through nonaccidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment, by a parent, a legal guardian, or any other person responsible for the child's health or welfare or by a teacher, a teacher's aide, or a member of the clergy. The recent "spanking" case brought to trial in Livingston County has prompted public debate over whether corporal punishment is simply discipline or whether it should be considered abuse. .

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Federal law will stop child abuse

2006-09-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Abu Dhabi: The UAE will soon issue a federal law to combat human trafficking as part of efforts to protect children against all forms of exploitation, including working as camel jockeys. "A Federal Anti-Human Trafficking Law would see the light in the next few days," said Colonel Najm Abdullah Al Hosani, director of the Community Police Department. He was addressing a two-day review meeting involving child protection experts and government representatives from the UAE, Bangladesh, Mauritania, Pakistan and Sudan, who evaluated achievements and gaps in efforts over the past 12 months to support and reintegrate children involved in camel racing. Camel racing Al Hosani said that the UAE has succeeded in stopping the practice of employing children as camel jockeys.

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Crime digest: Cell block; State Fair attendance; child abuse

2006-09-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

This year, between 40 and 75 of them each night are state police officers and they, too, come from all over the state, according to Lt. Darren Soland of Gallup. Also cruising the midway and parking lots are agents from the Albuquerque Police Department's Gang Unit, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department's Gang Task Force, sex offender trackers, probation and parole agents, the New Mexico Mounted Patrol and the New Mexico State Police bicycle and motorcycle teams. IBaby OK; adult guardians notI Albuquerque police, responding to two calls that a woman had been thrown from a truck and that a baby boy was "suffocating," found the baby, unharmed, in the truck near the University of New Mexico Hospital, according to a Metro Court criminal complaint. The infant had chunks of someone's hair between its body and the car seat he was in and hair stuck to his clothing.

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Grants will aid management of child abuse cases, DHHR says

2006-09-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

CHARLESTON - In a state as oddly misshapen as West Virginia, with cross-state drives taking almost five hours, Department of Health and Human Resources spokesman John Law says geography can be an issue. An issue, the DHHR hopes, that can be relieved with some extra money. The state Supreme Court announced Sept. 13 that it will receive two federal Court Improvement Grants that each provide $144,763 for one year, helping to establish new ways of handling child abuse and neglect cases. Law says it will help establish electronic case tracking throughout the state, giving the flow of information a much-needed boost over the mountains and into far-off courthouses. "That's real important because people want to be able to go into the database in Ohio County and find out something that happened in Putnam County," he said.

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Noble aims to curb child abuse

2006-09-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Reports of child abuse fielded by the Noble County Department of Child Services have tripled since last year, prompting officials at the typically reactive agency to look for a proactive solution. The answer, director Sue Romans said, could be in the formation of Prevent Child Abuse Noble County. The organization, now in its planning stages, would be a chapter of the national organization Prevent Child Abuse. The area group would pay dues of $150 a year to cover the cost of pamphlets, posters and other educational materials the organization can use. The national group can provide expert speakers and the local organization could host other community meetings, Romans said, and talk to local service or church groups. Through a private donation, the agency already has enough money for two years.

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Child abuse deaths vary greatly by region

2006-09-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Child abuse deaths over the past 11 years were significantly higher in Osaka Prefecture and the northern part of the Kanto region than other parts of the country, according to a recent study. Rates of fatal child abuse differed widely among prefectures and only Tokushima and Kochi prefectures had no such cases, according to the findings by a graduate school team studying criminal psychiatry at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The study also found that during the 11 years, the incident rate of child abuse deaths tripled. Osaka Prefecture had the most fatal child abuse cases, 41, followed by 26 in Saitama Prefecture, 20 in Kanagawa Prefecture and 17 in Tokyo. The research team concluded that measures to prevent child abuse need to be carefully designed to meet local conditions.

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Child abuse expert conducts training seminar for local advocates

2006-09-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

A joint group from Talladega and St. Clair counties spent Friday learning about child abuse investigations from a nationally known expert detective in Lincoln Friday. Detective Mike Johnson of the Plano, Texas, Police Department has worked with child advocacy groups and sex offender studies since 1986. In his presentation to about 75 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, educators and child advocates at a training facility provided by Honda, Johnson focused on investigative strategies and the multidisciplinary approach to child abuse investigations. We hunt bad guys, Johnson said. Johnsons talk, energetic and often humorous but graphically serious about the reality of child molestation, examined the process of an abuse investigation from the perspective of the child, with an eye towards minimizing trauma while maximizing the chance of a successful prosecution.

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Court hears challenge to child abuse registry

2006-09-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Mildred Jamison says a state child abuse law is mostly to blame for the demise of Faith House, a group home in St. Louis she founded in 1991 for abused and neglected children. Jamison - who has accepted numerous civic honors for her work - said her reputation was tarnished when she was placed on Missouri's child abuse registry in 2003. As she's fought to get her name off the list, Faith House has closed. Jamison and another nurse at Faith House were suspected of failing to supervise a child who allegedly sexually abused another child at the group home. Jamison was not charged with a crime. A citizen review panel has refused to take Jamison off the abuse registry. .

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Revisiting the past uncovers scars of child abuse

2006-09-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

It is hard to think of a local incident over the past decade that has saddened and angered more people than the senseless death of 3-year-old Marcus Feisel. How could someone responsible for this child bind him up in a blanket, lock him in a closet and leave for three days? Against the backdrop of all the other news stories about relatives, clergy and teachers sexually abusing children, certainly American society has reached a historic moral low. If that was true, we would just have to find our way back to a morally superior time, but it is not. In the early 1990s I worked with the Children's Home of Cincinnati to write its history, "One Child at a Time." Fortunately, earlier leaders of the home had donated its records to the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. In addition to the usual board minutes and directors' letters, the records contained hundreds of individual case histories, a gold mine for a social historian.

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Schools spotlight child abuse

2006-09-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

DOVER - Every August as students return to school, some also bring with them signs of abuse that teachers, school nurses, law enforcement officers and other attentive adults can spot and report, according to the state's Division of Family Services (DFS) of the Delaware Children's Department.Reports of abuse peak just as classes commence because in school, children are "exposed to a greater number of people on a daily basis," according to Linda Shannon, program manager for intake and investigation for the department.Such ongoing exposure, she said, can often make injuries and changes in behavior more obvious.Law enforcement agencies identify the most instances of child abuse in the state, with teachers and school nurses reporting the second highest number of incidents. But Ms. Shannon said anyone who suspects a child is being abused can also take steps to rectify the situation.Last year, the DFS received 7,548 reports of abuse and neglect statewide and investigated 5,829 of those reports.

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Court: Telling child to stab mom not abuse

2006-09-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — An appeals court on Friday threw out the child abuse conviction of a Stuart man who told his 6-year-old son to get a knife and stab the boy's mother, saying words alone do not amount to abuse. Edward Munao, 40, was found guilty by a jury in April 2005 of child abuse and solicitation to commit aggravated battery and Circuit Judge Gary Sweet sentenced him to five years on each count, to be served back-to-back. The Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld the solicitation charge, but acquitted him of abuse, knocking five years off his total sentence. .

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Official defends role in child abuse case

2006-08-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Deputy Duchesne County Attorney Roland Uresk says he didn't have enough information to tell authorities about a possible case of child abuse. That possible case has since led to nearly three-dozen criminal charges against a Uinta Basin businessman. Now, Uresk may be charged too - for not reporting the alleged crime. Uresk said prosecutors at the Utah attorney general's office have recommended that two misdemeanor counts be filed against him for failing to report child abuse. By day's end Friday, no charges had been filed. Uresk's problems stem from a criminal case against Brad R. Gale, who was charged last month in 8th District Court with 33 felony counts, including including rape of a child, aggravated sexual abuse of a child, sodomy on a child, unlawful sexual activity with a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor.

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Pastor accused of not reporing child abuse in court

2006-08-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

Robert Holmes of the Faith House of Prayer showed up in court Friday with attorney George Parnham. Holmes is accused of not reporting to police the abuse of a 12-year-old boy at the hands of his father and stepmother. "We'll be presenting some information to the grand jury, and I feel confident the grand jury will do the right thing," Parnham said. "This is information the prosecutor is probably unaware of." Holmes didn't go before the judge Friday, and his hearing was reset. .

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NGO tackles child abuse

2006-08-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Child Care and Protection Act was enacted to introduce higher standards for the safety of Jamaica's children. Several incidents, including the Shanika Anderson murder case, have motivated some government and non-governmen-tal agencies to champion the cause of the act. A unique way of tackling child abuse is being implemented by the Hope for Children Development Company (HCDC). The non-governmental organisation is championing child advocacy through an intense 'target community' approach. "We work exclusively with four communities, Rose Town, Greenwich Town, Whitfield Town and Bennett Land," said Richard Troupe, executive director of the organisation. "These communities have been prominently associated with incidents of child abuse. Shanika Anderson was from the Whittfield Town community," Mr.

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Child abuse suspect sought

2006-08-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Police want to speak with a Logan man who is believed to have appeared at a Navajo Nation police agency Wednesday morning with a dead child. Mychal Denny, 23, was supposed to meet Department of Child and Family Services officials and Logan police detectives at the Logan Regional Hospital Tuesday afternoon, where his son was to be examined for possible child abuse. When Denny missed the appointment, however, police asked agencies throughout Utah to help them find the man, as local officials believed he fled the area. At about 10 a.m. Wednesday, Logan police received a call from the police department in Kayenta, Ariz., which is a small town in the Navajo Nation. Police there said a man matching Denny's description was in their office and had a dead child with him, Logan Police Capt.

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Clergy being trained to detect, report child abuse

2006-06-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

HARRISONBURG, VA. - The case study was grim: Congregants ministering door-to-door had discovered "Kate," an 8-year-old girl covered in bruises and left home alone. The Rev. Rob Hoskins, a United Methodist pastor, had a decision to make. Should he notify child-protection authorities? Was the girl a victim of neglect? .

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Tagging plan to keep track of child abuse

2006-05-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

The judge in charge of sentencing young offenders is supporting a proposal to have children tagged in a central database to stem abuse and failure at school. The proposal, which Social Development Ministry officials are investigating, is similar to British initiatives. Under it a single identification number will be issued for each child, enabling authorities to be alerted to potential problems. "I could think of no more strategically important initiative than to develop a care plan for every five-year-old on entering school," Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft told a families workshop in Wellington late last week. The workshop, organised by Plunket and Presbyterian Support, came as Parliament considers a bill to repeal Section 59, which allows parents to use "reasonable force" when disciplining their child.

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DA slams govt over child abuse crisis

2006-05-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Alliance on Sunday called on the government to properly maintain and fund the National Child Protection Register to fight the escalating child abuse crisis in South Africa. With this week being Child Protection Week, the party said there had been a 45 percent increase in the number of child abuse cases being reported. In 2002/03 the overall number of crimes committed against children stood at 59526 cases. By 2004/05 the number had increased to 85 808. That was an increase of 45 percent or 26000 new cases in just a year and represented a staggering 235 crimes against children per day, DA spokesman on child protection Mike Waters said. Despite this increase, instead of strengthening the specialised child protection units, the ANC government had decided to abolish them, "effectively destroying abused children's last line of defence", he added.

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Child abuse charge dismissed

2006-05-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Jason L. Probst, 19, of 4747 E. Case Drive, was arrested and charged based on initial reports, Rock County District Attorney David O'Leary said. But at a preliminary hearing, the 17-year-old male victim and two witnesses said Probst's companion, not Probst, hit the 17-year-old in the head at the Janesville Mall on Jan. 28, O'Leary said. .

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Governor signs 'Kelsey's Law' child abuse and neglect measure

2006-05-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY Legislation designed to protect children from abuse and neglect that bears the name of a slain 2-year-old Meeker girl was signed into law today by Governor Brad Henry. The bill, known as the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act, would strengthen training of court-appointed child advocates and make judges more accountable for their rulings in child-placement cases. It also augments the ability of state agencies, including the Department of Human Services and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, to act on behalf of children in abusive homes. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. .

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Child abuse rampant in Tobago

2006-05-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sexual child abuse is rampant in Tobago, according to District Health Visitor Vere Jack who yesterday called for a special system so that "the child will not be raped again and again" when the tale is related. Jack, who is attached to the Tobago Regional Health Authority, issued the appeal when the Commission of Enquiry into the country's health care rolled into the Mount Hope Hospital. Jack said often times when sexual abuse cases are reported, the child is expected to relate the tale of abuse to people including doctors, nurses, police officers, and medical social workers, some of whom are not trained to deal with such delicate matters. Jack said the trauma experienced by children when the tale is related over and over is unimaginable, and is calling for a network to be set up where persons will be specially trained to deal with such issues.

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Kelsey's Law child abuse bill wins final approval

2006-05-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY A bill that seeks to improve child abuse protections won final legislative approval today in the state Senate. The Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Act was named in memory of a 2-year-old victim of child abuse from Meeker. It passed the Senate without opposition and now goes to Governor Brad Henry, who is expected to sign it into law. Kelsey died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen on October 11 while her care was being monitored by child welfare workers. The state Medical Examiner's Office said her body was covered with bruises. The child's stepfather and mother both face charges in her death. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. .

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New center offers help to child abuse victims

2006-05-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Staff at the Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital Center for Miracles had not seen their first client Monday when they ran into their first unexpected hurdle: getting the infant's primary care physician to sign off on the visit. The staff went back and forth on the phone with that doctor's office staff, explaining that they are a newly opened center working with Child Protective Services and other agencies to assess whether children are victims of abuse or neglect. "That's going to happen," said Dr. Jim Anderst, the clinic's pediatrician and a fellow in Child Abuse Pediatrics with the University of Texas Health Science Center. "The first day of doing a new clinic in anything is always tricky." The purpose of the downtown center at 315 N. San Saba, launched in part through a $1.5 million Goldsbury Foundation grant, is to provide medical and psychological assessments, offer court testimony when necessary and coordinate with the Bexar County Children's Court.

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'Time to act' on indigenous child abuse

2006-05-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Calls to remove abused Aboriginal children from their communities have intensified, with Treasurer Peter Costello and indigenous leaders saying it is time to act. Mr Costello said there were "horrific crimes" being committed against women and children in central Australia. He said any time a child was at risk of being harmed, it needed to be removed from the community. "We have to intervene. It's got very bad and we have to intervene for the sake of the children and the victims," Mr Costello told ABC Radio. The treasurer said people had been slow to act because taking away children was associated with the "stolen generation", which was the subject of a landmark report. "This is where people get very sensitive because it you intervene and take a child out of a community the next thing that will be said is 'stolen generation'," he said.

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Child Abuse Council gives thanks for community help

2006-05-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Amador County Child Abuse Prevention Council would like to thank the many community members and organizations for supporting the council during April's Child Abuse Prevention Month. Child abuse and neglect are preventable when all members of a community are aware of the problem and get involved. Thank you for getting involved! Amador Ledger Dispatch, Home Town Radio, TSPN TV, Amador Child Care Council, Amador County Unified School District, HRC Child Care Resources, Linda Critchfield, Amador/Argonaut High Schools Child Development Teacher, First 5 Amador, Pat Wilcher and Gretchen Kingsbury, Sutter Creek Visitors Association, Maureen Stanish, Volcano Community Association, the city of Ione, Sutter Creek, Plymouth and Pioneer Elementary schools and Argonaut High School, Amador County West Little League, Soroptomists, Amador/Calaveras Safe Kids and Jackson Lions Club.

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Don't stifle debate on child abuse: MP

2006-05-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

NSW Aboriginal Affairs Minister Milton Orkopoulos yesterday launched a stinging attack on politicians, bureaucrats and academics who were trying to stifle a debate on physical and sexual violence in Aboriginal communities. "Federal, state and territory governments have two imperatives - protecting children and bringing perpetrators to justice," he said. "We simply cannot ignore the cries for help. Arguments for not acting are absolutely unacceptable. "The arguments about cultural sensitivity don't wash with anyone. "We are talking about crimes against young children, and protecting them is a prime purpose of government. "We cannot have two different standards for sexual abuse of children. Rape is rape and sexual abuse is sexual abuse whether it is in the white community or the black community." Mr Orkopoulos said he was ready to support any national action proposed by Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough, saying: "This issue is too serious to be subject to party politics, or personal prejudices masquerading as public policy." Mr Orkopoulos, MP for Swansea, said he would hold meetings with NSW Aboriginal leaders this week to discuss their views on dysfunctional Aboriginal communities.

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Mother charged with child abuse

2006-05-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

The mother of two children who nearly drowned in a backyard swimming pool Tuesday evening in Cañon City is being charged with child abuse and drug use and possession. Four children, ages 1, 2, 4 and another whose age is not known, were taken into protective custody by the Department of Human Services Wednesday, said Cañon City Police Capt. Allen Cooper. Nina Marie Davis, 23, was in the shower at her Cañon City home when two of her children, and one of her boyfriend's children, were pulled from a swimming pool. Richard Valdez, 18, told police he was working in the front yard when he heard a child screaming. According to police, Valdez ran to the backyard and found 4-year-old Ashton Davis clinging to the side of the above-ground pool. Two other children, Raque Valdez, 1, and Ezra Davis, 2, were in the pool, unmoving, and had turned blue.

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Report Charges 'Misinformation' about Domestic Violence, Child ...

2006-05-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, May 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Government policies and campaigns to combat domestic violence and child abuse are based on faulty information, a new report charges. The report also claims that current government policies worsen child abuse. The report, Family Violence in America: The Truth about Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, is released by the American Coalition for Fathers and Children (ACFC, http://www.acfc.org) and authored by ACFC President Stephen Baskerville, PhD. Among the highlights of the report: -- Child custody disputes are probably the main engine driving both fabricated accusations of domestic violence and actual violence. -- The main cause of child abuse is family dissolution, and family violence programs probably contribute to child abuse.

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“Misinformation” about Domestic Violence, Child Abuse

2006-05-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Government policies and campaigns to combat domestic violence and child abuse are based on faulty information, a new report charges. The report also claims that current government policies worsen child abuse. The report, Family Violence in America: The Truth about Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, is released by the American Coalition for Fathers and Children (ACFC, www.acfc.org) and authored by ACFC President Stephen Baskerville, PhD. Among the highlights of the report: Child custody disputes are probably the main engine driving both fabricated accusations of domestic violence and actual violence. The main cause of child abuse is family dissolution, and family violence programs probably contribute to child abuse. These findings challenge long-standing assumptions about family violence – and policies to combat it – promoted by government agencies and feminist groups.

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Pervert OAP jailed for child abuse

2006-05-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

AN EVIL pensioner who systematically sexually abused three young boys, and drove two of them to attempting suicide, was today jailed for four and six months. Joseph Johnston, 74, abused one of the boys more than "a thousand times" over an eight-year period, his first attack on the boy when the youngster was just four years of age. Johnston, of Ellismuir Street, Coatbridge, began his reign of terror on the boys in 1984. It was also revealed he had sexually abused a young girl 40 years ago and was then jailed for six months. Sentencing Johnston at Airdrie Sheriff Court today, Sheriff Morag Galbraith described the crimes as "appalling and despicable." She said: "You have been convicted by a jury of appalling crimes. "For eight years you persistently abused one of the boys, who was only four years old when the abuse started.

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VIC: $1.68 M To Reduce Indigenous Child Abuse And Neglect In

2006-05-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Vulnerable indigenous families in Gippslands Wellington Shire will benefit from a new $1,684,000 Bracks Government child abuse and neglect prevention project, the Minister for Children, Sherryl Garbutt, said today. During a visit to the region, Ms Garbutt said the Bracks Government would provide the funding over four years to set up a Family Support Innovation Project. This project will provide greater support to families under pressure and should reduce child protection notification rates, Ms Garbutt said. Families will now receive earlier, more intensive welfare support to address their problems before they escalate and require child protection involvement. Family Support Innovation Projects have been operating in Victoria since 2002 and have contributed to this State defying increasing child protection notification rates across the nation.

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Working to prevent local child abuse

2006-05-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

April was designated Child Abuse Prevention Month. A proclamation was signed by Richard Tankard, chairman of the Northampton County Board of Supervisors, on April 10. Students at Northampton Middle and Northampton High schools attended a assembly sponsored by the Parenting by Support Program and the Northampton County Extension Office. Motivational speaker Derius Swinton from Richmond offered a message of encouragement and advice to the students to overcome life's challenges and strive to reach their full potential. Staff and students had a moment to share appreciation for each other as students thanked those they felt were a positive influence in their life. Prevention programs targeted at children can improve a child's awareness of how best to avoid child abuse and other dangerous situations.

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Babysitter Arrested On Child Abuse Charges

2006-05-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

(CBS 13) ROSEVILLE A Sacramento woman who had babysat a Roseville toddler was arrested Friday on suspicion of child abuse. On Thursday, May 11, a 15-month-old girl from Roseville was hospitalized with traumatic brain injuries consistent with "shaken baby syndrome." Roseville Fire Department paramedics and an ambulance responded to a home in north central Roseville, after the infant was reported as unresponsive. The baby was in the care of a babysitter at the time of the call.The baby was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center by ambulance and then transferred to Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, where she is currently listed in critical condition.Roseville Police Department investigators arrested the child's babysitter, Veronica Salcedo Martinez, 36, of Sacramento, Friday afternoon on suspicion of child abuse.

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Springfield gym teacher, principal charged in child abuse case

2006-05-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Prosecutors charged an elementary school gym teacher with sexual misconduct and assault, and the school's principal with failing to report child abuse, after five girls and one boy at the school complained of being inappropriately touched over their clothes. The counts, all misdemeanors, were filed by Greene County prosecutors against fifth-grade gym teacher Mark A. Washam, 42, and Rountree Elementary School Principal Carolyn S. Harralson, 51. Washam's lawyer denied there was any misconduct and said police had carried out a flawed investigation, including subjecting the children to suggestion and prompting. "The alleged acts were all out in the open in front of the entire class during gym classes," defense attorney Dee Wampler said in a statement.

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Judge Will Not Be Recused from Child Abuse Case

2006-05-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

The judge in the child abuse case against a day care provider will not be recused from the case. Sylvia Vasquez claims Judge George Eskin edited a book written by prosecutor Joyce Dudley. But Judge Eskin says he was looking for grammatical errors in the small portion he read. A Ventura County superior court judge decided there was no reason to disqualify Eskin from hearing the case. Vasquez is accused of locking her adopted children in small cages with little food and no toilets. She is currently free on one million dollars bail. The four children are in protective custody with child welfare services. .

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Babysitter Charged With Child Abuse

2006-05-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

Ripely, MS-- These are two working parents who say they couldn't make it without a babysitter. They found a woman with an infant of her own and it seemed like a perfect fit. Now their child is clinging to life. Home video of five month old Aliana Tipler before the accident shows how adorable and lively she was. Pictures taken inside the hospital show a different Aliana...hooked up to tubes and ventilators, barely able to move. "Right now it's day to day we don't know if she is going to be here or not. She struggles for every breath that she takes," says Rolley Tipler, Aliana's father. Rolley met News Channel 3 outside LeBonheur Children's Hospital while doctors worked on Aliana. "One minute I am mad about the situation, the next minute I want to take the pain away. There is nothing I can do but wait," says Rolley.

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Felony Child Abuse

2006-05-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

A one-year-old girl was taken to Creighton University Medical Center in critical condition with bleeding on the brain last night. It was reported to police that the child was in the care of Terrance White when the child fell from a counter top at a northwest Omaha residence. Medical personnel indicated that the explanation given by White was not consistent with the injury to the victim. White was taken into custody and booked. .

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Outrage at plan to scrap police child abuse units

2006-05-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

THERE has been further condemnation of the police plan to dismantle family violence, child abuse and sexual offences units countrywide. Reacting to a media reports yesterday about the closure, Child Welfare SA acting executive director Lynette Schreuder said: If these allegations are correct, this will have a negative impact on the already weak, under-resourced, fragmented and unco-ordinated child protection system in our country. She said these units played an important role in the protection of children and in ensuring that the rights of children who were unfortunate victims of abuse were upheld. Childline Eastern Cape director Anni Rossouw also condemned the closure. It is very bad because we have a very good relationship with that unit.

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Marathon child suffering abuse?

2006-05-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

New Delhi - The guardian of a five-year-old Indian boy who runs 50km a day denied media accusations on Wednesday he was flogging him for personal gain. Biranchi Das said he was more worried about the health of his pupil, Budhia Singh, and was seeking medical advice to study the phenomenon that has created a stir across India. "We all know there is something wrong," Das told reporters a day after the tiny Budhia overcame heat and humidity to run a distance of 65km in seven hours from Puri to Bhubaneswar in the eastern state of Orissa. "I consider myself a sportsman and even I can't run 10km at a stretch. That is why I am looking for specialists to conduct tests on Budhia to see why this is happening. I want to consult as many doctors as I can," he said. Newspapers on Wednesday splashed pictures of the youngster on their front pages but headlines like "65km at five - isn't this child abuse?" indicated not everyone was excited by the feat.

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Four admit 'horrific' child abuse

2006-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Four men who wrote their mobile phone numbers on train toilet doors to try to attract young girls have pleaded guilty to a number of sexual offences. John Farmer, 67, from Pevensey, Sussex, admitted charges at Hove Crown Court relating to the abuse of young girls. Three other men pleaded guilty to related charges last week and all four will be sentenced next month. The court heard that officers seized videos showing children as young as eight being sexually assaulted. Restrictions on reporting the four guilty pleas were lifted by Judge Anthony Niblett on Tuesday. .

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Child Abuse Reports Reveal Steady Progress

2006-04-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

(CBS) LOS ANGELES The number of children killed by family members and the number of youths committing suicide in Los Angeles County are both at 15-year lows, according to three child-abuse reports released on Friday. The Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect is expected to release reports on child abuse, child fatalities and abandoned infants at a noon news conference at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration. "These reports serve a vital purpose in raising public awareness about the abuse, neglect, abandonment and death of our county children," said Sheriff Lee Baca, ICAN chairman. "The unique and extensive data presented in these reports provide accountability and guidance for our child protection system." According to one of the reports, 30 children were killed by family members or caregivers in 2004.

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Get involved in the fight against child abuse

2006-04-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and the goal of this year's theme, "Good Beginnings Last a Lifetime," is to highlight prevention and actions that members of our community can take to keep children safe. Unfortunately, West Virginia has the highest rate of child fatalities from abuse in the country, and over 8,000 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect occur in West Virginia per year. As we conclude our month of activities, I'd like to offer some ideas on how we as a community can turn these numbers around. Rather than letting the statistics steal the spotlight, community groups have chosen to focus on the positive. The message connecting all of the events held in the last month was that together, as a community, we can make a difference in the lives of West Virginia children.

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Man charged in child abuse

2006-04-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

LEESBURG -- A man was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse in the beating of two young children he was baby-sitting, according to police. Sidney R. Benton, 19, was booked Monday into the Lake County Jail, where he remained Tuesday, with bail set at $100,000. .

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Harr gets 14 to 18 years on each child abuse count

2006-04-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

PONCA, Neb. -- Dixon County District Judge William l. Binkard sentenced Michael Harr Sr. to 14 to 18 years in prison today on each of two counts of first-degree assault for his two-week binge of abuse against his live-in girlfriend's 7-year-old daughter. Further, Binkard set the sentences to run consecutively.With Nebraska's so-called truth in sentencing and credit on each count for the 201 days he has already served, Harr, 32, of Concord, Neb., could be eligible for parole in just under 13 years.Binkard, working from a 346-page psychiatric report, said there was nothing in it to indicate Harr could be rehabilitated. It described a long history of "ungovernable behavior" and of having poor impulse control. .

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Get on the green to help victims of child abuse

2006-04-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Carbondale/Aspen Glen Rotary Club is hosting a golf tournament May 20 to raise funds for "The River Bridge," a child advocacy center. A dedicated group of individuals and the Rotary Club of Carbondale/Aspen Glen have launched a project to create a child-friendly center for victims of abuse and neglect. The project known as The River Bridge has already received support from the Garfield County Commissioners, who have promised $150,000 to purchase a cottage-style modular building. There will be an initial need for another $111,000 for forensic exam and interview equipment, startup and operating expenses. The River Bridge will bring all the usual agency representatives, such as social services, law enforcement and medical staff together to conduct the investigation into alleged abuse.

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Child-abuse hotline available 24 hours a day

2006-04-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Child abuse, which can affect children of any age, takes many forms, according to Childhelp USA, an Arizona-based, nonprofit national program that aids abused and neglected children through regional advocacy or care centers, group homes, research, and a 24-hour hotline. Abuse can be physical, such as hitting, pinching, slapping; emotional or psychological, such as screaming, belittling or withholding affection; neglect, such as a lack of supervision or a failure to provide housing or food; or sexual abuse, according to the group and to area child-protection and child-welfare programs. Callers to the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline can ask for literature to be mailed to them, or they can remain anonymous and speak to a counselor, who can offer information about emergency-aid locations.

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