Sen. Farley Reports Senate Passes the “Protect Our Children Act”

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently passed crucial measures to help protect the most vulnerable children from abuse, maltreatment, and exploitation.

The Protect Our Children Act (S2964A) would help ensure appropriate punishment for cruel and repeated maltreatment. This bill creates the offenses of aggravated murder of a child; aggravated abuse of a child in the third degree; aggravated abuse of a child in the second degree; aggravated abuse of a child in the first degree; aggravated manslaughter of a child; aggravated endangering the welfare of a child; aggravated murder of a child; obstructing the location of a missing child; and concealment of a death.

Many existing statutes make prosecuting child abuse very difficult or carry such disproportionately low punishments as to permit serious child abuse to have essentially no meaningful consequences. Under current law, unless physical injury results, the infliction of sadistic, painful, or dangerous punishments on children can typically be charged only as misdemeanors. Other low-level charges with probationary sentences are not seen as sufficient to protect the most vulnerable children.

The bill has been sent to the Assembly.