Two laws designed to protect children are now in effect.
Kilah’s Law was named after 4-year-old Kilah Davenport, who was severely beaten while under the care of her stepfather in Union County. She suffered a fractured skull and severe brain damage.
House Bill 75 increases the penalty for certain criminal offenses of child abuse to a Class D felony and requires the defendant’s record state that the case involved child abuse.
Caylee’s Law, or House bill 149, makes it a criminal offense to fail to report a missing child under age 16 to law enforcement and increases the penalty for concealing the death of a child or making a false report to a law enforcement agency about a missing child.
It also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to fail to report the abuse, neglect, dependency or death due to maltreatment of a child or prevent someone else from doing so.
The law came about following the acquittal of Casey Anthony in Florida, whose 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony, was found dead and her disappearance had not been reported for 31 days.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed the bills into law.
Bill Johnson, the director of the Kinston Department of Public Safety, said the laws should help the state’s youth.
“I think both of them are very good in, hopefully, being able to protect our children better,” he said.
As far as Caylee’s Law, Johnson said early reporting is a critical element when a child is missing.
He said there has been an increase in child abuse cases nationally.
“For that reason, hopefully, (Kilah’s Law) will have an effect and be more of a deterrent,” Johnson said.
The law will at least keep the perpetrators locked away from society longer, he said.
“Fortunately, we have not dealt with the demise of a child (due to child abuse),” Johnson said.
Rep. Louis Pate, R-Wayne, said simply the fact that the laws are named after a child who suffered a vicious crime makes them “long overdue.”
“It’s something that should have been done a long time ago,” he said.
Rep. George Graham, D-Lenoir, said the two laws are positive legislation.
“Anytime we can create legislation that’s going to help children,” he said, “I think, we’re moving in the right direction.”
Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene, said the laws are “good steps” for the safety of children.
“It’s important that notice is provided for missing children in order to increase the likelihood of finding lost children,” he said.
Davis said the protective measures afforded by the new laws are important across the state, but more than the laws, alone, is needed.
“Everyone must take on a collective effort to curtail child abuse,” he said.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
Breakout box:
Number of children with investigated reports of abuse and neglect
2011-2012 2010-2011 2009-2010
Lenoir County: 1029 1025 1139
Greene County: 283 283 288
Jones County: 113 76 47
Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families website