Latest Abuse and neglect of children News
Pennsylvania government watchdog to probe teen's murder
A Pennsylvania state government watchdog agency has launched an investigation into the horrific case of a 14-year-old girl who had extensive contact with the child welfare system before her 2016 rape, torture and murder, a lawmaker who requested the review announced Wednesday. The Office of State Inspector...
Pennsylvania House OKs new child sex abuse reporting rules
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives moved Wednesday to toughen penalties for people who do not report suspicions about repeated child sexual abuse and make it explicit that nondisclosure terms in contracts cannot prevent people from talking to police in child molestation...
Columbine survivors send kids to schools altered by attack
DENVER (AP) — Dropping her kids off at school used to be the hardest part of Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson's day. She would cry most mornings as they left the car and relied on texted photos from their teachers to make it through the day. Now, the mother of four — and Columbine shooting survivor —...
Oregon foster care system targeted in federal lawsuit
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's foster care system has failed to shield children from abuse and they are sometimes forced to stay in refurbished jail cells and homeless shelters, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The 77-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court details stories of foster children being...
Alabama inmate who wanted nitrogen spared lethal injection
ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama inmate convicted in the 1991 sword-and-dagger slaying of a pastor was spared a lethal injection when his death warrant expired before a divided U.S. Supreme Court voted early Friday to let the execution proceed. A federal judge on Thursday blocked the execution of Christopher...
Sundance Film Festival co-founder charged with sex abuse
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah filmmaker who co-founded the Sundance Film Festival and produced an Oscar-winning movie in the mid-1980s has been charged with sexual abuse of a young girl. Sterling Van Wagenen, 71, is accused of inappropriately touching a girl on two occasions between 2013 and 2015, according...
Vatican upholds sex abuse conviction against Guam archbishop
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has upheld its conviction of Guam's ousted archbishop for sexually abusing minors, exiled him from the Pacific island and barred him from presenting himself as a bishop. But it stopped short of defrocking him in a decision that again raised questions about whether the...
Pope: Women have 'legitimate claims' for justice, equality
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis said in a document released Tuesday that women have "legitimate claims" to seek more equality in the Catholic Church, but he stopped short of endorsing recent calls from his own bishops to give women leadership roles. In the text, Francis also told young adults they should...
2 major cases add up to big doubts about Chicago prosecutor
CHICAGO (AP) — Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx was elected in 2016 mainly because of anger that the prosecutor she ousted had waited a year to charge a Chicago police officer in the killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald. Then Foxx, who is a survivor of sexual assault as a child, grabbed national...
Father vows safety push after daughter's ride sharing death
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The father of a University of South Carolina student who police say was kidnapped and killed after she got into the wrong car thinking it was her Uber is promising to dedicate his life to improving the safety of ride sharing services. Friends and family of Samantha Josephson are...
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