92 abuse/neglect cases
During January and February alone, the Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office filed civil cases involving 92 children who had been abused or neglected. The office filed 183 civil abuse/neglect cases in all of 2014.
“When we have a two-month spike like this, we go from serving half the kids to serving a third,” Campbell said.
Gazette readers recently have seen news reports of horrendous crimes committed against local infants and children, including these headlines:
Parents charged with abusing 10-week-old twins, mother facing homicide charge
Police: Man who raped 23-month-old also molested 6-year-old
“The degree of harm to children has increased,” said Corbit Harrington, one of three deputy Yellowstone County attorneys who work full time on civil abuse and neglect cases. In recent months, more than six abused children have been flown to Denver Children’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries and two Yellowstone County children have died from abuse.
March 12, 2015