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When will senseless child abuse end?
Sen. Mary Jane Garcia (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
It feels like my heart has died a thousand times with the recent “Baby Angel” child abuse case.
I remember back to 2002 when something unimaginable occurred in my very own community of Las Cruces. In 2002 baby Briana Lopez, a six-month old infant, was found horrifically beaten and raped countless times by her family members, bitten by her own mother, bruised throughout her entire body, and thrown hitting the ceiling and dropping to the floor. Briana Lopez died July 19, 2002 from the brutal abuse.
In 2005 I passed SB166 – a bill known as the “Baby Briana Bill” that created life sentences for child abuse resulting in death. Baby Briana’s death was the impetus for this piece of legislation, and back then I thought perhaps child abuse would be substantially reduced in New Mexico.
Unfortunately, we still hear stories such as the child that was smothered by his mother and buried in a playground in Albuquerque.
Over the Independence Day holiday weekend, as I was writing this editorial, I learned a man from Taos has been indicted for allegedly fatally stabbing his 1-year-old son.
And now in Doña Ana County, almost to the anniversary date of Baby Briana’s death, we are faced with the tragic death of 5-year-old baby Angel from Anthony, N.M. Like Baby Briana, she was presumably bitten, badly bruised throughout her body, and had severe bleeding in her brain.
The public and I have had enough with innocent children dying from this type of criminal child abuse. I am calling for the state, law enforcement, local government, municipalities, nonprofits, and everyone in the community to work together to use all available resources to combat this problem.
Taking child abuse seriously
I feel very strongly that we need to take the crime of child abuse as serious as we have DWI. Throughout New Mexico we see many billboards and commercials related to anti-DWI campaigns. There is also a sophisticated website managed by the DWI Resource Center that shows valuable statistical information and outreach programs. If you look for a similar website for criminal child abuse you will not find one. We need the same level of urgency, awareness and commitment for criminal child abuse as we have put forth for DWI.
Public awareness informing citizens on services and how to identify child abuse is crucial. The public should have firsthand knowledge on how to detect the physical signs of child abuse. Additionally, we need to increase awareness of laws such as the Safe Haven Act, which allows children to be left at hospitals and churches if parents are unable to care for them or if they are inclined to harm them. La Piñon Sexual Assault Recovery Services is trying to establish a child abuse center where parenting and anger management skills can be taught. We must help them make the child abuse center a reality.
My legislative efforts on this issue will not stop. In 2010 we unanimously passed Senate Memorial 55, which I sponsored, that directs the Legislative Council to establish a task force on child abuse and domestic violence. I will do everything I can to make sure the task force works swiftly on this issue.
In 2009, I also sponsored SB22 that would have required family members to report child abuse in the home. This bill increased the penalty for failure to report child abuse. The bill was met with a lot of resistance and it failed to pass. I will be revisiting this issue in the upcoming legislative session.
We all need to report child abuse when we see it. We cannot be afraid of reporting a friend or a family member when a child is being abused. We must step in right away before it is too late. If you currently suspect child abuse please call CYFD at (800) 797-3260. You can also call me personally at (575) 526-5048 if I can help in any way.
My deepest sympathy and prayers are with all affected by child abuse.
Garcia is a state senator from Doña Ana and the Senate majority whip.
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I agree with gofdisks. There is a big difference between having an appetite for sex and having a commitment to being a responsible parent. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church strongly opposes any kind of family planning. It also opposes the death penalty, and aside from the religious arguments the death penalty has been shown to be ineffective in deterring crime.
Seriously qofdisks, you think we humans are just another “species” that should “”cull”? I’m about to throw up.
I guess if you think we humans are nothing better than dogs then you would have that opinion. I believe God gave humans the gift of reason, which sets us apart from just another “species”.
If you think that the reason behind child abuse is because of “over extended resources” then I feel very sorry for you. You obviously do not have a good grasp of what humanity is all about.
It is INHUMANE to abuse a child!!!
Child abuse is not senseless and indeed can be rationally expected given that family planning doesn’t enter these discussions. Parents that are committed and prepared have better intentions for their offspring.
Many species turn to killing their own young when resources become over-extended and stressful. Any species that does not cull degenerates. Why would we think we are above these natural laws?
The re-establishment of the Death Penalty with do NOTHING to prevent these horrific tragedies. Strengthening our ability to investigate and intervene in on behalf of abused children early on is the only way to keep children safe. We need to re-evaluate the entire process of child abuse prevention and intervention, not just increase criminal penalties after the fact.
In almost every child abuse case, there are clear early indicators that a parent who later caused severe injury or death to a child would do so. All too often, what allowed the abuse to go on was that people who knew about the abuse did not intervene, or if they did, no long term consequences occurred to prevent continued abuse. Neighbors, co-workers, friends and family looked the other way, not trusting their instincts or believing in parent’s rights to discipline their children as they saw fit.. Teachers, health care providers or mental health providers reported the abuse as required by law, but there was minimal or no follow up by police or Social Services. Overburdened court systems or social workers dropped the ball on important details, leading to the child being returned to the unfit parent.
For example, this latest case of Angel is one in which the mother had been investigated recently for reports of abuse, yet no social or legal intervention occurred because the investigation was minimal. We also heard recently the sad story of the 13 year-old boy in Las Cruces who was severely physically and emotionally abused by a mother who clearly has a public track record of abusing not only him, but his two older siblings who finally escaped her. However, she managed to obtain custody of him because his legal guardian, a grandmother, is now too ill to care for him. In her case, neighbors finally grouped together to get authorities to step in and protect the boy, but the outcome of the case is still not determined–she very well will receive no real punishment, and may even be allowed return of custody of that child Children should not have to endure the kind of suffering these children have endured before authorities do something.
The child protection system in New Mexico, from the Children, Youth and Families Department to law enforcement, to the courts is barely doing the job we want and expect it to do. Not because they don’t care, but rather because they CAN’T care. The pathetic dearth of resources they encounter when trying to do their jobs, including overwhelming caseloads, weak family protection law, and the lack of foster care beds is literally killing our kids.
Mary Jane Garcia has always had a huge heart for the least powerful and most needy among us, and has worked on their behalf. Hopefully, her deep compassion will help guide her towards comprehensive legislation provides an overhaul of how New Mexico prevents the suffering these children go through every year.
Thanks for shining light on a horrific problem, Senator Garcia.
Senator Garcia, I applaud your advocacy for the well being of our young. I endorse your call “for the state, law enforcement, local government, municipalities, nonprofits, and everyone in the community to work together to use all available resources to combat this problem.” and your sponsorship of bills to continue to combat this problem.
I am now calling on YOU to go one step further during the 2011 Legislative Session to re-enact the Death Penalty in New Mexico for heinous murders INCLUDING the willfull and wanton abuse of children that results in death. Some say an “eye for an eye,” I say eliminate any animal that creates such substantial harm to a child. Also, eliminate parole in New Mexico for any sentence given for a conviction of child abuse.
I don’t think she meant to say it this way, or at least I hope not, but what is “senseless” child abuse anyway? Isn’t child abuse senseless by definition?
I agree that it is sad that we don’t have every single tool in the law enforcement box to severely punish child abusers. But I as a parent and concerned citizen called Mary Jane’s office in Santa Fe last year and literally begged her not to vote in favor of revoking the death penalty and to at least reserve it for the child molesters.
She voted to revoke it anyway.