Today, Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown was joined by representatives from child advocacy organizations, members of law enforcement, and state and local officials at the Baltimore Child Abuse Center to announce that, as of October 1st, child neglect is officially a crime in Maryland.
Under the new law, which was championed by Lt. Governor Brown during this year’s session of the General Assembly, child neglect is a misdemeanor crime subject to imprisonment of up to 5 years, a fine up to $5,000 or both. The law seeks to penalize only adults who deliberately neglect their children. Those parents or guardians who are unable to sufficiently care for their children due to an involuntary condition, such as poverty or homelessness, would not be prosecuted. In three previous years, bills to criminalize child neglect had come before the General Assembly and failed.
“With this new law, we are finally able to bring to justice those who intentionally put children at substantial risk of harm, ending Maryland’s dubious distinction of being the only state in the nation that does not criminalize child neglect,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “Our primary goal remains to address neglect through education and better parenting, and we will not prosecute parents who cannot provide proper care through no fault of their own, be it poverty, homelessness, or being under duress of domestic violence. But now, thanks to the hard work of the General Assembly and all of our partners, we have taken a stand and said once and for all that egregiously and intentionally neglecting children will not be tolerated in Maryland.”
“One of the most important functions of our legislative body is to protect children who are among the most vulnerable of Maryland citizens,” said Senator Nancy J. King, Senate sponsor of the bill. “Passage of this legislation is another step forward in defending the rights of those who cannot defend themselves and I commend the Lt. Governor for his leadership in enacting this new law.”
“After working on this important piece of legislation for 4 years, I am very appreciative to the Governor, Lt. Governor and members of the General Assembly for their commitment to Maryland’s children with the passage of the child neglect legislation,” said Delegate Galen Clagett, House sponsor of the neglect bill. “This new law will ensure our children are not intentionally neglected.”
In 2010, Maryland Child Protective Services identified nearly 4,150 cases of child neglect. However, under previously existing Maryland law, cases of child neglect could not be prosecuted unless they resulted in physical injury or death of the child.
Studies link child neglect
