Officials seek tougher laws

Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said the crime of child abuse is particularly upsetting because it involves helpless victims.

"The victims of child abuse have no choice but to live with the parents or guardians who are inflicting abuse upon them," Rushing said. "It's one of the crimes that gets law enforcement, district attorneys and the public most upset."

State and local officials say one of the most disturbing things about child abuse is the penalty levied against an individual who is convicted of the crime.

Child abuse is a Class C felony, which is punishable by one to 10 years in prison.

"That's the same sentence someone gets for forging a signature on a $5 check, or if someone is arrested for possession of marijuana," said Sheffield Police Chief Greg Ray.

Law enforcement officials point out that the unlawful exploitation of a bear, or bear wrestling, carries a stiffer punishment than child abuse. The exploitation of a bear is a Class B felony, punishable by two to 20 years in prison.

"Although laws like these are good ones to protect animals, when you look at it that way, the scales of justice don't seem to equal out," Ray said.

Rushing said some of the most heinous crimes are inflicted upon children.

"We've seen a child who has been hit in the head with an object, been beaten with a belt across their back, slapped and punched in the face, being burned and, recently, there were two arrests where a man and woman were accused of locking the children in a room for prolonged periods of time without food, water or bathroom facilities," Rushing said.

Rushing said he has talked with state Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, about the possibility of strengthening child abuse laws.

Bedford, along with former state legislator Gary Aldridge, of Decatur, made the first revisions of the state's child abuse laws in the 1980s.

"At that time, they were some of the toughest in the nation," Bedford said. "But times change, and maybe it's time we revisited the laws to make them tougher.

"Our children are the most precious resources this state has and we need to do everything we can to protect them, and if that means changing the laws, then that's what we need to do."

Tony Logan, a criminal justice instructor at the University of North Alabama, agreed that the crime needs stiffer penalties.

"It's pivotal to put more teeth in the law," Logan said. " I don't think it has ever gotten the right amount of attention, and there needs to be some legislative review. Some states have stiffer laws than others. It would be nice if they were all the same."

According to the Administration for Children and Families' child maltreatment summary, in 2005 there were 899,000 victims of child abuse and or neglect. That was 20,000 more than in 2004.

Heath Haddock, PR/event manager volunteer coordinator for Safeplace Inc., said there were 30,000 cases of child abuse and neglect reported in 2005 involving more than 45,000 children. Safeplace is a victims' service facility that works with victims of domestic violence and child abuse throughout northwest Alabama.

Haddock said domestic violence and child abuse go hand-in-hand.

"We know that in approximately 70 percent of the homes where domestic violence is occurring, a child is also being abused," Haddock said. "At Safeplace, we see more calls of domestic violence and child abuse coming in than ever before."

Logan said child abuse usually starts when the victim is around age 3 and ends between ages 10 to 12.

"At that point, the child has been exposed to education and they realize what is happening to them is wrong," Logan said.

Logan and Haddock believe education is one reason more child abuse cases are being brought to public attention.

"We hope it's because of education and not that it's happening more," Haddock said.

Logan said every state now has a mandatory reporting law, which requires caregivers of a child, whether it's a teacher, day-care worker or a baby sitter, to report suspected child abuse.

Logan said the law, and better and more education programs, have helped, "and more cases are reported."

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Safeplace will holding its fifth "Walk A Mile For A Child" to shed light on the problem of child abuse.

"We've got to keep this crime in the public's eye through education and public awareness," Rushing said. "The only way to make sure this crime is reported is for people to realize it's wrong.

"Through awareness and stiffer penalties, maybe it will make people think twice before abusing a child."

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.