Child Abuse is charged in Greeley and Weld County when a person is accused of causing harm to a child. A woman is pushing for Colorado to create a Child Abuse registry after her daughter was killed by her boyfriend, who had previously been convicted of Child Abuse. The boyfriend had previously served 6 years for a Child Abuse conviction that the woman was completely unaware of. Under her proposal, any convicted of Child Abuse causing death or serious bodily injury would have to provide their information to a registry which the public could access online, much like the sex offender registry.
Weld County Child Abuse Lawyer: Definition of Child Abuse in Logan County
The Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, Colorado law definition of Child Abuse – C.R.S. 18-6-401 – is:
While Child Abuse can be a misdemeanor or felony depending on the intent and level of injury sustained, the woman feels that only those convicted of the class 4, class 3, and class 2 felony Child Abuse should have to register.
Child Abuse Registry: A Slippery Slope
To me, this feels like a slippery slope. It is already easy to run someone’s criminal history through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. You can do records requests to get copies of police reports and court cases for further information. It’s not like a criminal conviction is secret or not accessible to someone who wanted to know about it. While I completely sympathize with a grieving parent, looking for change to create some meaning for the situation, where does it end? Not long ago there was talk about an animal abuse registry, where those who had been convicted of Cruelty to Animals would have to register their information. It would be easy for anyone affected by a crime to want to bring about some change – but to what end? Do we need a registry for every crime? I don’t even think the Greeley Police or Weld County Sheriff would be able to keep up if that were the case.
If you have been charged with Child Abuse, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009.
Image Source: Pixabay- andibreit