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February 09, 2005
State: 19 deaths in homes with previous child abuse
February 9, 2005 [Associated Press]
Abuse deaths totaled 57 over a 12-month period from 2003 to 2004
INDIANAPOLIS — Child protection caseworkers had confirmed cases of abuse or neglect in the homes of at least 19 children who died during a 12-month period that ended last year, a new state report said.
Those deaths were among 57 that state officials blamed on abuse for the time between July 2003 and the end of June 2004
The 19 deaths in homes with previous abuse cases represented an increase from 11 during the same time one year earlier. The report released Monday by the state Department of Child Services said five of the deaths were in families that had three or more substantiated cases of abuse or neglect.
James Payne, who became the agency’s director last month, said those 19 deaths were “unacceptable,” but that they could reflect the struggles of caseworkers overwhelmed by a large number of cases they must handle.
“When you are struggling just to stop the bleeding, the prevention message doesn’t always get through,” Payne told The Indianapolis Star for a story Tuesday.
Statewide, 22 deaths were attributed to abuse and 35 were blamed on neglect – defined as failure to provide for basic needs and safety.
As has been the trend in past years, children younger than 6 accounted for the majority of the state’s child abuse and neglect fatalities. The report showed three out of four abuse victims and half the neglect victims were 5 or younger. Parents were the main perpetrators, with those between ages 20 and 24 making up the largest group.
Payne said the report countered common stereotypes about abuse and neglect.
“What people like to think is that this is somebody else — ‘those people,’” he said. “But when we look at these statistics, it shows that abuse and neglect and the stress factors cut across those perceived lines of age, race, gender and marital status.”
Child advocates say that while the 19 deaths that occurred in families with previous abuse cases showed the need for more effective government services, the other 38 deaths indicated the need for solutions beyond the child protection agency.
“In many cases, people like spouses, parents, grandparents and neighbors often have more information than CPS,” said Dr. Roberta Hibbard, chairwoman of the Child Abuse Program at Riley Hospital for Children. “In a significant number of the devastating and lethal cases I see, there were clues but everyone wanted to believe the innocent story.”
The 57 child abuse or neglect deaths reported during the 12-month period continued a decade-long trend of at least one such death during an average week in Indiana. Those deaths were six more than the number recorded during the previous year.
Abuse causes
Causes of the abuse or neglect deaths of 57 children in Indiana between July 2003 and the end of June 2004:
♦Physical abuse and beating: 12
♦Motor-vehicle accident: 11
♦Fire: 6
♦Drowning: 5
♦Poisoning: 5
♦Gun-related: 4
♦Medical neglect: 4
♦Other or undetermined: 10
Source: Indiana Department of Child Services
Posted by Nancy at February 9, 2005 03:49 PM