Response to Bob -- WLouisHennessy.com

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Date Posted: 06:39:54 08/16/02 Fri
Author: W. Louis Hennessy
Author Host/IP: spider-wc032.proxy.aol.com / 205.188.193.32
Subject: Response to Bob
In reply to: Bob 's message, "Child Abuse" on 15:22:53 08/15/02 Thu

I would definitely prosecute child abuse cases when there is sufficient evidence to lead me to believe abuse has occurred and that a particular party is responsible. That is not the difficult part of child abuse investigations. Through my experience as a homicide investigator, where I investigated many child deaths and homicides, and my training on the issue including having had the occassion to critique and participate in the U.S. Justice Department's, Office of Juvenille Justice and Deliquency Preventions "Investigating Fatal Child Abuse and Neglect" program, which is given nationally to law enforcement agencies, I learned the unique and unusual physiological responses to trauma by infants and small children. I have found these cases especially problematic. Often trauma sustained by infants manifests itself in unconventional ways. Often this results in conflicting medical opinions. The medical field is also troubled by this pheneneom and this is becoming a field speciality. This makes determining when and how trauma is sustained by children difficult.
I believe when there is objective evidence that one has abused a child prosecution is in order. Whether the family was interested in prosecuting a case would not enter into my decision to prosecute on child abuse cases. Too often the perpetrator of child abuse is a family member. Inasmuch, it is not unusual that the family would not want to prosecute.
In your example you used "overwhelming medical evidence" to qualify your question. Anytime there is overwhelming evidence these cases are not nearly as difficult. If you have any further questions or if you would like to discuss this in further detail please feel free to call me 202-265-3314 or 301-934-6400. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and interest.

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