Child Abuse Punishment The Same As Animal Abuse Punishment
Posted: Saturday, September 04, 2010
by Grace O'Malley
Someone really needs to keep me away from the internet. While taking a little break today I decided to search archived news. Usually a bad idea but what the heck, I was in a good mood today. It's Saturday, the sun was shining and my freshly painted pink toenails look AWESOME on me! I've got to say, the best polish for a shiny, long lasting..... oops! Sorry, got carried away there.
I had to add a bit of levity because otherwise you would be seeing a mushroom cloud over the state of South Carolina right about now. I passed over the regurgitated political samplings and the "entertainment" celebrity sections. I wanted something with "meat". I got my meat alright. The following are excerpts from the Honolulu Advisor:
"Two men who allegedly killed and ate a family's pet dog pleaded guilty this afternoon to first-degree animal cruelty.
Palting and Domingo.... were charged under a new felony animal abuse law, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
"We will be asking for an open term of five years (in prison)," Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Yoo said after Palting entered his plea.
"This case is not about anybody's culture, it's not about anyone's eating habits," she said.
"It's about cruelty to animals."
Yeah, what were these men thinking? That was not the part that bothered me. It sounds sick and twisted no matter how you view it. I am certainly no animal hater, just the opposite. It is great Hawaii has a felony level for animal abuse. My problem came for another reason.
Some of you may know that I am an advocate against Child Abuse in any form. That is one subject that will trip my trigger every time. Over my years of research into child abuse laws and punishments in the various states, the one state that always stood out to me was Hawaii. Why you may ask? Oh I am so glad you did!
In the state of Hawaii, harming a child of ANY age is lumped under the Domestic Abuse laws which were updated within the last few years. Trust me when I say that there new laws are a vast improvement on the old ones. However, a child can be harmed up to but not including death , and it is classified as a Class C felony whose maximum sentence is.... (drum roll please).... five years in prison!
Yes boys and girls, the life of an animal has as much meaning as the welfare of an innocent human incapable of defending themselves.
For those of you who look at this and say "yes, but the child did not die", the maximum penalty in our glorious 50th state is a Class B felony charge of ten years in prison.
Nirvana may be on an island in the Pacific with friendly natives, swaying palms, warm breezes and views God had painted on his best day, but until they treat the welfare of children higher than the welfare of animals, my feet will not touch their soil.
"Two men who allegedly killed and ate a family's pet dog pleaded guilty this afternoon to first-degree animal cruelty.
Palting and Domingo.... were charged under a new felony animal abuse law, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
"We will be asking for an open term of five years (in prison)," Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Yoo said after Palting entered his plea.
"This case is not about anybody's culture, it's not about anyone's eating habits," she said.
"It's about cruelty to animals."
Yeah, what were these men thinking? That was not the part that bothered me. It sounds sick and twisted no matter how you view it. I am certainly no animal hater, just the opposite. It is great Hawaii has a felony level for animal abuse. My problem came for another reason.
Some of you may know that I am an advocate against Child Abuse in any form. That is one subject that will trip my trigger every time. Over my years of research into child abuse laws and punishments in the various states, the one state that always stood out to me was Hawaii. Why you may ask? Oh I am so glad you did!
In the state of Hawaii, harming a child of ANY age is lumped under the Domestic Abuse laws which were updated within the last few years. Trust me when I say that there new laws are a vast improvement on the old ones. However, a child can be harmed up to but not including death , and it is classified as a Class C felony whose maximum sentence is.... (drum roll please).... five years in prison!
Yes boys and girls, the life of an animal has as much meaning as the welfare of an innocent human incapable of defending themselves.
For those of you who look at this and say "yes, but the child did not die", the maximum penalty in our glorious 50th state is a Class B felony charge of ten years in prison.
Nirvana may be on an island in the Pacific with friendly natives, swaying palms, warm breezes and views God had painted on his best day, but until they treat the welfare of children higher than the welfare of animals, my feet will not touch their soil.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)How horrifying! You'd better never visit South Africa, Grace, the child abuse is off the charts.That bad? Argh why is it so acceptable?Grace
This is terrible. There are so many things that could be said, Grace...and I could get on a soap box too - we are a society who saves whales and baby seals and then considers it a right to kill our own in something as gruesome as partial birth abortion which I think is right up there with one of the worst forms of child abuse and in this case, the baby does die. Keep writing and informing your readers. Maybe it all stems from the "man is an animal" theory instead of the Biblical idea that man is created in God's image...I have many, many questions and not sure how many answers. Good job with this piece!Thank you for your support Marijo. I find it abhorent that the life of a child means next to nothing unless the crime is gruesome and a journalist makes it a cause celebre. No idea why we feel we can kill or harm each other. Like you I have too many questions and not enough answers.Grace
Never knew how lax Hawaii was regarding this..thanks for the insight.When I first read about their laws the maximum sentence for child abuse resulting in death was 5 years and if the child did not die it was a mis-demeanor with only a fine.Grace
What are the punishments for child abuse in New Jersey? I'm doing research on it for a project and can't find it.
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