Mo. House backs stiffer penalties for baby deaths

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — People who injure or kill a baby by shaking the child could face tougher penalties under legislation moving through the Missouri House.

The House has endorsed a measure expanding Missouri’s child abuse law to specifically cover causing a baby’s death or injury by shaking.

Sponsor Jeanie Riddle, a Republican from Mokane (moh-KAYN’), says current law makes it difficult to prosecute people when a child dies from “shaken baby syndrome.”

Her legislation would make it a crime to recklessly cause head injuries to any child.

A person who commits child abuse in Missouri currently faces up to seven years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Under Riddle’s legislation, anyone who commits child abuse on a child under the age of 2 would face five to 15 years in prison.

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Shaken baby bill is HB1317

Online:

Legislature: http://moga.mo.gov

More like this story

gofish 1 year, 2 months ago

Why lower the minimum to 5 instead of 7? That doesn't make sense to open the doors to lesser plea bargains that what already occurs. And how about making prison time mandatory, with no parole on children under 2? Someone needs to step up and protect MO's most vulnerable citizens. A person can get more time for robbing a convenience store than for shaking the snot out of a child and causing a permanent brain injury. MO is too lax on child abuse sentencing for the most severe abuse.

JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago

I've long noticed that sentencing for crimes against children is always much lighter than the sentencing for the same exact crimes against adults. The courts clearly do not value a child's life as much as they value an adult's life.

Why is this?

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