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"Worst case of physical child abuse" only results in 9 years |
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Friday, 16 July 2010 00:00 |
Even though Judge James Mason "imposed the maximum sentence allowed by state statutes, rejecting probation, and also ordered seven years of extended supervision", a 25-year-old man will only spend 9 years in prison for breaking multiple bones of his 2-month-old daughter. The Defendant must also "maintain absolute sobriety, have no contact with the victim or anyone younger than 18, participate in parenting and anger management classes, undergo a full psychological evaluation and any other counseling deemed necessary and pay $95.63 in restitution."
The initial complaint involved a broken leg, but was later found to include "more than 20 rib, collarbone, leg, finger, toe and vertebrae fractures." The defendant was sentenced to 1.5 years for child abuse and 7.5 years for second-degree reckless injury of a child. According to the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, some experts have referred to this case as the "worst case of physical child abuse they have seen." Compounding that is the fact that this tragedy occurred after the Defendant had already been "placed on two years of probation for three misdemeanor counts of child neglect."
It is tragic that when all of the elements of "the system" work: adult identifies the abuse, takes child to hospital for help, hospital notifies police, charges are filed, abuser is convicted -- the penalty doesn't fit the crime.
To learn more about PROTECT's efforts to increase penalties for abusing children, please click here.
To learn more about this story, please click here.
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