| "Nixzmary's Law" was proposed
in January 2006 by New York State senator Joseph Bruno, shortly after the
events. The law is designed to deter or prevent child abuse related crimes
by charging parents connected to the crime of the death of their children
with first degree murder, the maximum punishment for which in New York
State would be 25 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Since passing of the law, reports have increased
to New York States' child abuse hotline.
The Senate passed "Nixzmary's Law," a bill (S.6481-A)
that would require a sentence of life without parole for parents or guardians
who kill a child.
The bill is named for Nixzmary Brown, a seven year
old Brooklyn girl who was brutally beaten and left for dead last month.
Her mother and stepfather have been charged with her murder. Just last
week, Quachon Brown, a four year old boy was found dead in a squalid apartment
in the Bronx, beaten to death by his mother's boyfriend. The deaths are
the latest in a string of tragic deaths of children from families who were
under investigation. In October of 2005, seven year old Sierra Roberts
died after her father slammed his knee into her abdomen and beat her with
a belt and in November of 2005, 16 month old Dahquay Gillians drowned in
a bathtub when his mother left him unsupervised.
This legislation would create the crime of aggravated
murder of a child and mandate a sentence of life without parole for the
parent, guardian or other person in a position of trust, who abuses and
tortures a child under the age of 14, causing the death of the child or
intentionally causes the death of a child.
Existing law mandates the sentence of life without
parole for the death of a child less than 14 years of age only in those
cases when a person 18 years of age or more commits the crime while committing
a felony sex crime against the child. In all other cases, a person who
tortures and abuses a child, causing the child's death, or intentionally
causes the death of a child, can be paroled after serving a minimum term,
no matter how horrific the crime.
The Senate passed legislation (S.3433), sponsored
by Senator Martin Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn) that would establish the crimes
of endangering the welfare of a child in the first and second degrees,
a class E felony and a class A misdemeanor, respectively.
The Senate also passed a bill (S.6289), sponsored
by Sen. Stephen Saland (R-C, Poughkeepsie), that would provide that a person
is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child if they leave a child under
the age of seven unsupervised in a car when heat conditions present a significant
risk to the health and safety of the child. "Adults who knowingly or recklessly
place children at risk by leaving them in a car unattended should know
that this will result in a charge of endangering the welfare of a child,"
said Senator Saland. "We want to increase awareness regarding the rapidly
rising temperature in cars. This has the potential to be particularly dangerous
in changing seasons when we have mild days that might not at first glance
seem capable of producing threatening temperatures in a car."
Between 1998 and 2004, 230 children have died from
being left in cars, and in 2005, by mid-summer 19 deaths were recorded
as a result of children being left in cars. Studies indicate that in outside
temperatures ranging from 72 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature
inside of a vehicle rises approximately 19 degrees in the first ten minutes,
29 degrees after 20 minutes, 34 degrees after 30 minutes and 43 degrees
after 60 minutes. Legislation (S.1513 passed by the Senate would create
the crime of endangering the welfare of a child if a person commits a violent
act in the presence of a child.
Another measure passed is one that would close a
loophole that allows violent criminals who sexually assault children who
are related to them to be charged with incest, a class E non-violent felony,
and receive only probation.
Other Senate bills would improve the child protection
system by ensuring caseworkers are properly trained, giving investigators
access to the criminal records of individuals they are investigating and
providing educational resources for adoptive and foster parents to help
parents deal with the challenges of raising a child. 2-09-06
Return
to Nixzmary's story
Click
here for pictures of Nixzmary's memorial services
Click
here to read about Nixzmary's law
For information about preventing child abuse in the
state of New York, click the links below. If they can't help you, ask for
someone who can. NEVER give up looking for help for an abused child!
The
Child Abuse Prevention Center of New York
New
York Office Of Children And Family Services
Call this number to report
child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453
  
.
Share this page with your
family and friends!
.
Please let me know that you
were here, by signing my
guestbook. The link below
will take you to my guestbook
page where you can read a
message about my site and
choose to read or sign.
  
This free script provided by
Dynamic
Drive
|
