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Stinziano to introduce Caylees Law
Parents who do not alert law enforcement authorities of a missing child within a reasonable period of time would be guilty of a felony in Ohio, under a bill to be introduced by State Rep. Michael Stinziano. The proposal would make it a felony for parents not to report the death of a child to police within an hour of discovering the incident, or within 24 hours in the case of a missing child. “Our children are our most precious resources,” Stinziano said. “We need to make sure that our laws protect our children and that nothing like this can ever happen in the state of Ohio.” The bill follows the highly publicized Casey Anthony verdict in which a Florida jury did not find a mother responsible in the 2008 death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. Following the verdict, a number of constituents in Rep. Stinziano’s district emailed the office to urge him towards the proposal. Caylee Anthony was last seen on June 16, 2008, Police did not learn of her disappearance until July 15. The child’s skeletal remains were discovered Dec. 11, 2008. “We need to ensure that we have laws with teeth, particularly in a case where a parent or caretaker is proven to have misled or impeded investigators,” Stinziano said. Under current state law, many professionals including teachers, registered nurses, psychologists and health care professionals are required to report to authorities if they believe a child is in danger or being neglected.
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