June 16, 2005

The Laws We Need To Pass to Properly Punish Child Abuse

UNITED STATES
FindLaw

By MARCI HAMILTON
hamilton02@aol.com
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Thursday, Jun. 16, 2005

Evidence at Michael Jackson's trial strongly indicated that he is a child molester. There was testimony that he plied children with liquor, showed them pornography, and invited them into his bed - all behaviors typical of a molester.

Yet, the jury did not convict Jackson - apparently largely because they believed the victim's mother was a gold-digger. The problem, however, is that there is every possibility that she was a gold-digger and the boy was abused.

If this boy was indeed a childhood sexual abuse victim, he is just one more example of how the system works against these victims. And while nothing can be done now about the Jackson verdict, much can still be done about child abuse in general.

Revelations of clergy abuse taught us that the law has been inadequate to redress the sexual abuse of children. But that left a question: What would be an effective legal approach?

My view is that both the states and the federal government ought to act to address this heinous crime - in ways I will detail in this column.

Posted by kshaw at June 16, 2005 07:18 AM