Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, persuaded the Senate Judiciary Committee today to introduce legislation prompted by the case of a 3-year-old St. Maries child whose severe abuse cost her both feet, a finger and a kidney, but whose abuser got just 10 years in prison, the maximum sentence for felony injury to a child. “This is a little change that could be very big,” Broadsword told the committee, of her measure to double the maximum penalty from 10 years in prison to 20. The Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association is supporting the bill, she said, and the Benewah County prosecutor who handled the case involving little Kyra Wine will testify when the bill has its full hearing.
Broadsword said, “In this case, 20 years is not too many for what he did.” She said the local prosecutor told her he couldn’t charge Charles W. Smith with anything but felony injury to a child because he never admitted what he’d done to cause the child’s injuries. “He never said a word,” Broadsword said. Authorities were puzzled by the extent of the youngster’s injuries, which included a patch of dead flesh on her scalp that will never grow hair again. She was found almost comatose in a bedroom, malnourished and dehydrated, her body covered in scabs. Smith was her mother’s boyfriend who babysat her and her 5-year-old sister. The child’s mother, Christina Haynes, also was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison for the abuse.
Granmother on September 13 at 12:29 p.m.
Giving more prison time is a start. But, why is it that children in this country are still treated with no respect as “persons”?
Children use to die from natural causes before researchers found cures for many illnesses that claimed their lives. Today, people are killing children and it seems that the courts are ok with it. Court guidelines barely rank human children higher that animals when doling out punishment for abuse and murder. Why?? Do we have so little value for our children? Those who harm children, and I am NOT talking about spanking here, let’s be clear. But harm children, are not people. I don’t believe in evolution, but these creatures, could make me think of reverse evolution. They aren’t human, is what I’m saying. They need to be executed. If not that, then prison for life - end of story. No excuses, no ifs, no ands, no buts, no maybes.