For those who would like to know, the first of this month brought a new law to the land of Oklahoma, one designed to save the lives of children and inspired by the loss of one very special child.
Categories: Kelsey,abused, murders
Kelsey Briggs Law
An Oklahoma judge placed a young child back into the arms of her mother, who was suspected of child abuse.
About a month later, the child died.
The death of 2-year-old Kelsey Smith-Briggs prompted lawmakers to investigate how child abuse cases are handled by judges and state agencies.
The Kelsey Briggs law went into effect Nov. 1 and is designed to "provide more accountability with judges to place a child in a certain situation," and also frees up money for special investigations of possible child abuse and to hire 100 more caseworkers.
"The ramifications of this bill are a lot broader than this particular case," said Rep. Kris Steele, R-Shawnee.
There were about 52 child deaths in Oklahoma linked to child abuse or neglect last year, he said.
The law allows the Department of Human Services to appeal a decision a judge makes dealing with the placement of a potential child abuse victim.
Now judges must fill out a form explaining their decisions on where to place children.
A judge, however, has the right to seek help from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to look into the work of caseworkers at the Department of Human Services. Steele said sometimes there is an argument between a child's guardians where each individual involved points a finger at the other person. The law is also supposed to force district attorneys to release more information on cases to the public.
In the case of Kelsey, the Department of Human Services disagreed with the judge's placement and might have appealed the decision, if the new law had been in place.
Categories: Kelsey,abused, murders
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