This morning’s update from Safe Passage for Children includes DR Mark Hudson’s informed understanding of why children die of abuse in our state and how to fix it. He points out that way more children die of abuse every year than they do from cancer. Statistically, it’s a big problem. Ethically, it’s hard to argue against DR Hudson’s prior injury observations and that “Approximately 40% of fatal/near fatal injuries occur in children who have a history with Child Protective Services”. As a volunteer guardian ad litem, it has been hard to watch and read about terribly abused children suffering and dying because our definitions of abuse did not include them the first, second or third time they were reported to child protection services.
4 year old Eric Dean died after years of torture and 15 reports of abuse.
The letter is worth reading in it’s entirety – please share this with your state rep and your contacts. Creating awareness for the problems of our most vulnerable citizens is the only way to help them.
All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children