While being arrested and charged with any type of crime is a serious matter, certain offenses are considered sensitive crimes and can result in both criminal charges and negative consequences to a person’s life. A criminal conviction for child abuse or neglect may impact a person’s family relationships, the custody of his or her children, and even one’s career. 

If you have been accused of child abuse or neglect, you should be sure to understand the nature of the charges and your options for defense.

Child Abuse and Neglect Under Wisconsin Law

The potential charges related to child abuse or neglect can vary depending on the nature of the alleged offense. Wisconsin law identifies the following types of abuse and neglect towards children under the age of 18:

When parents have to work, they rely on others to help with the care of their most prized possession: their children. Most of the time, these caregivers provide loving, compassionate, and competent care. But there are, unfortunately, those out there that do the unspeakable. People who put children in harm’s way or inflict physical or emotional injury. A daycare center in Mississippi is being accused of doing the latter, yet has reopened its doors. And the matter has, understandably, shaken an entire community.

Six Children Allegedly Abused

According to the Mississippi Department of Health and the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department, six or more children may have been physically or sexually abused while in the care of the day care facility. The complaints were received from parents who said they believed the abuse happened while near or on the premises of the center, which includes a petting zoo, but no word has been given regarding who the alleged abuser or abusers may be.

Each year, more than 3,500 children die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is the sudden death of an infant that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation. So much about what causes SIDS is still unknown. The cause of many SIDS deaths remains a mystery. Unfortunately, some SIDS deaths end up resulting in criminal charges for parents or caretakers, compounding tragedy on top of tragedy.

Mother Convicted of Manslaughter

In 2014, a North Virginia mother swaddled her baby, placed him face down on a couch cushion, and then fell asleep herself. When she awoke, she found her baby boy unconscious. Just a couple months later, the mother was arrested on charges of manslaughter. She eventually plead guilty to those charges and was ordered to complete three years of probation or face five years of imprisonment. Cases relating to criminal charges from SIDS involve parents and/or caregivers failing to follow safe sleep practices, such as giving the baby its own sleeping space or placing the baby on its back to sleep.   Other cases involve parents/caregivers who seem to have done everything possible to reduce the risk to their babies. Yet in rare circumstances,  they, too, have faced charges. The stress and trauma of having to endure such charges in the midst of such a great and unpreventable loss is undoubtedly devastating.

The Truth about SIDS

There are known risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, including preventable ones (smoking around the baby or while pregnant, placing objects other than the baby in the crib, putting the baby in restrictive clothing, bed sharing, etc.) and several non-preventable ones (infants between one and four months of age, infant gender, or ethnicity).  Science is often unable to tell the difference between SIDS and a death that may have been caused by a parent’s or caretaker’s neglect.