APRIL IS NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH *Protect Children From All Forms Of Abuse*

Whether Iraq is wielding children as soldiers and human shields, or American bureaucrats allow already abused children to be re-abused, or parents use kids as ammunition in the heat of custody battles, author and forensic consultant Dean Tong sheds light on the subject of child abuse, internationally, during April, The Month of the Child.

For Immediate Release
For more information, contact Lea Conner, Conner Dudley Communications LLC, 1-877-604-6516.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Protect Children from All Forms of Abuse

TAMPA, Fla. (March 31, 2003) -- Our nations children find themselves increasingly in harms way and there is much parents and other members of the public can do to prevent such incidents, says forensic legal consultant and author Dean Tong.

April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month, a month when all Americans are called to look for ways to better protect our most precious resource: our children. According to Tong, parents, law enforcement officials and the public at large, could be doing a better job of ensuring the safety of young people.

Children have virtually no legal rights in America, and as a result, they oftentimes end up mistreated, used and abused by those entrusted to care for them," Tong said. We know that children are abused, yet we allow for laws that have muddied the waters and allowed abusers to go free. We have stood by and watched as child welfare authorities have left children in abusive situations, sometimes causing their deaths, yet none of these governmental officials face charges. Conversely, we have seen overzealous prosecutions where innocent people have been wrongly charged with physical or sexual child abuse.

Its time to clean up the system and get down to the business of protecting our children and families 100 percent of the time. We must afford our children and families the ability to live in a safe and sane world."

Tong noted that the media has reported dozens of high-profile cases of child abuse just in the past few years, including:

·     Forced to take up arms: Saddam Hussein has forced children to take up weapons against invading coalition forces, according to Gen. Vincent Brooks of the U.S. Central Command;

·     Caught on videotape: Madelyne Gorman Toogoods alleged abuse of her 4-year-old daughter Martha in a store parking lot;

·     Abducted from her bedroom: Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, are charged with kidnapping then-14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her bedroom at knifepoint. The couple allegedly sexually abused the teenager during her nine-month kidnapping ordeal. Authorities now believe Elizabeth fell victim to Stockholm Syndrome and may have come to aid her captors;

·     Lost by child protective services: Rilya Wilson, a 5-year-old girl who has been missing since February 2001, when state child-welfare workers lost track of her in February 2001; and

·     Taken at gunpoint: Elian Gonzalez was returned to his father by gunpoint after relatives who had held the boy captive refused to turn him over to authorities. Tong consulted on Elian's case.

Each of these cases illustrates an abuse of children," Tong noted. We as a society could have -- and should have -- done better by these young people."

In many states, people can file anonymous complaints alleging child abuse, opening an investigation of such crimes. Tips given to law enforcement through other anonymous tip lines only result in investigation when the caller offers up substantiate evidence, Tong noted. Because of this, law enforcement officials find that more than two-thirds of all child abuse tips are false or unfounded.

Law enforcement resources are being squandered, leaving children unprotected from those who would cause them harm," Tong said. What we need is a system built upon accountability and swift justice. We must fully prosecute child molesters while protecting the innocent from false and unfounded accusations."

Dean Tong said there are four crucial steps that states can take now to protect children:

·     Nationwide Amber Alerts. The first few hours after an abduction are crucial to ensuring that childs safe return," Tong said. We must ensure that perpetrators cannot evade justice by fleeing to another jurisdiction or across state lines."

·     Implement a national task force aimed at effecting changes in public policy. Requiring people to give their names instead of calling hotlines anonymously will allow law enforcement to cull out frivolous allegations made by parties bent on revenge and anger and dramatically decrease the number of false and unfounded reports," Tong said. "Revision of CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act), and better education and training for social workers and law enforcement are necessary," says Tong.

·     Add a friendly parent provision to divorce laws. We need to encourage parents to limit their childs involvement in the conflict of divorce," Tong said. Requiring states award majority residential time to the parent more likely to encourage their child to have a relationship with their ex-spouse accomplishes this goal."

·     Strengthen prosecution standards for child abduction. We must not reward abductors with lighter sentences when they spare the lives of their victims," Tong said. Abolishing light sentences sends a clear message that unlawfully taking a child is a crime that we as a society will not tolerate."

·     Protect the rights of children regardless of national origin. Our duty to protect the human rights of others must extend to children as well," Tong said. We must protect children from being forced into the sex industry, from being forced to take up arms for their country, and from female genital mutilation. We know these crimes are being committed, yet we stand by and treat them as a cultural difference. Allowing these crimes to continue is antithethical to human rights."

Dean Tong calls upon parents to take action on behalf of children in their own communities, to call their legislators and representatives, throughout the month of April. We owe it to our kids to help them to the fullest extent of our abilities," Tong said. We must act today and not rely on others to do our bidding."

Dean Tong is a nationally recognized legal consultant and author on child abuse, custody and abduction cases. He may be reached for interview at DeanTong@aol.com or toll-free at 1-800-854-0735. His website is http://www.abuse-excuse.com