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October 31, 2004
Child abuse disgrace
Our failure to protect children is horrifying reality
Because his sexually abused daughters appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the case of former Lincoln County minister Ted Eugene Hendrix got front-page, high-profile attention. Until Oprah, his case, like so many others involving child abuse, was back-page news.
That's a horrifying reality for thousands of N.C. children, and millions nationwide. The case of Ted Hendrix highlights this lamentable fact. We are failing miserably to protect children from harm by parents and other adult caregivers.
The recent Child Health Report Card, compiled by the N.C. Child Advocacy Institute and other groups, puts the problem in stark relief. The 10th annual report card shows undeniable improvement in the welfare of N.C. children. Infant and child death rates are down. Insurance coverage has improved. Immunization rates are stellar. Teen pregnancy has dropped significantly for all races and ethnic groups.
But child abuse and neglect reports jumped 9 percent from 1998 to 2003, zooming to 107,157 from 98,696. Confirmed deaths rose from 26 to 27. That's about once every two weeks. Child abuse deaths are more than half of all child homicides.
Sadly, the number of substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect has hovered around 30,000 cases for almost a decade. N.C. officials are trying to reduce that number using a new multiple response system. But they say legislative cuts to child maltreatment appropriations in recent years make addressing the problem more difficult.
The Hendrix case involved events that happened 22 years ago. One of his three daughters said she was sexually abused in 1982 as a child. The case exemplifies the devastating and long-lasting impact such abuse can have.
Ailing and tethered to an oxygen tank, the 66-year-old minister collapsed and was hospitalized last week after his daughters appeared on "Oprah." They said they confronted their father last year after seeing a child's pool in his yard. In March, he was charged with second-degree rape, incest, second-degree sexual offense and other crimes against nature. Last week, he admitted fondling the women when they were children. He pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties with a minor and was sentenced to 36 years in prison.
"Our father took our childhood, our innocence, our trust," one of the daughters said at the sentencing. The thievery continues for too many N.C. children. Last year, 27 children's lives were taken as well. This is not back page news. It is a front-page disgrace. We must better protect children.
Posted by Nealus at October 31, 2004 01:12 PM
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