INITIATIVE
WASHINGTON STATE INITIATIVE OF THE PEOPLE
Require JUDGES to report child abuse or neglect
Update the law to require that judges report to law enforcement or the appropriate state agency if, while presiding over a legal proceeding, they witness or receive credible information alleging child abuse or neglect READ FULL PROPOSED INITIATIVE
WHY AN INITATIVE
Incredibly Washington States judges are not reporting child abuse in divorce cases to child protective services
-
Family courts are making decisions on if child abuse occurred, or if false allegations were made, entirely on who has the best divorce lawyer.
-
Family court has its own set of laws and is not designed to investigate child abuse or deal with it's criminal implications
-
Non-reported / non-investigated child abuse allegations make it impossible for the accused parent to get reasonable time back with their child in a divorce proceeding
-
Child abuse claims that are never reported to child protective services can easily be used by the accuser in the divorce process to maximize their financial settlement
-
By not reporting, judges skew federal statistics on the extent of child abuse or if false allegations of child abuse occur
-
Seven other states already require judges to be mandatory reporters: Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia.