New Jersey Child Welfare Department Pushes for Increased Reporting of Abuse
There is a new push by the New Jersey's child welfare department to encourage individuals to report child abuse and neglect. According to BeaumontEnterprise.com, this new campaign is a direct result of the May 22, 2011, death of an 8-year-old girl who passed away from malnutrition and a lack of treatment for a broken leg. An investigation into the death of the young victim showed that the department received an anonymous call about the mistreatment of the girl before her death.
Clearly, it is a tragedy whenever there are instances of child abuse or neglect in New Jersey. It is important, however, that the authorities do their best to investigate all allegations before filing charges that could affect numerous lives. It is common for parents, for example, to face very serious charges because of false allegations, mistaken identity, misunderstandings, and spiteful neighbors or family members.
Individuals who believe they have witnessed abuse or neglect are encouraged to notify the authorities. The question becomes, what did they really witness? Was the witness close enough to the situation to understand what really took place and who was involved? Individuals convicted of child abuse in New Jersey face serious penalties, including jail time and a loss of custody of their child.
The domestic violence defense lawyers in Princeton at Lependorf & Silverstein have a long history of successfully handling domestic violence and child abuse cases in New Jersey. To begin building a defense and to discuss your legal options at no cost, please call our law offices at 609-240-0040 today.
