The rate of child deaths caused by abuse and neglect saw an increase in 2010 from 2009, according to AZCentral. An annual report by the Arizona Child Fatality Review Program that will be released this month shows that maltreatment of children resulted in 70 deaths in Arizona, while 64 deaths were reported for 2009.
According to the report, of all children that died due to Arizona child abuse, more than half were under one year old and 20 percent needed some form of special healthcare. Five of the deceased also had open Child Protective Services (CPS) cases, the same amount as in 2009, while 18 total had some form of prior contact with CPS.
As far as reasons for the increase in abuse, possible causes have been linked to job loss, the poor economy, and budget cuts for child abuse prevention and child care. Many of the deaths, especially those of children under one year old, have been linked to drug and alcohol abuse.
In order to catalogue the deaths, the Review Program inspects autopsy reports for deaths of children younger than 18 and investigates how the deaths could have been prevented. Findings and recommendations are then reported to the governor and state legislature.
The injury and death of any child is a tragedy, and when the negligent or reckless behavior of another causes such trauma, the guilty party must be held responsible. If your child has been injured in Arizona by the negligence of another, the Phoenix child injury attorneys of Breyer Law, P.C. can help you win the compensation needed to help your child and family recover. Contact our experienced law team for a free consultation on your case today at (602) 457-6222.
