The Legal Contours of Child Endangerment

child endangerment child abuse

Child Endangerment In Ohio

Could You Be Legally Charged With Child Endangerment Or
Child Abuse?

child endangerment child abuse

Adults who care for children have a legal obligation to ensure that those children avoid unreasonably dangerous situations. Failing to adequately protect a child may result in the caregiver being charged with “child endangerment” or “endangering the welfare of a child.”

Examples of child endangerment may include:

  • Driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle
  • Leaving a child alone and unsupervised with available dangerous weapons
  • Leaving a child unattended  in an unsafe area or vehicle
  • Hiring a person with a known history of sexual offenses  to supervise a child
  • Leaving a young child unsupervised or in the care of another young child
  • Providing drugs or alcohol to an underage driver
  • Opting for spiritual healing rather than conventional medicine when a child’s life is in danger
  • Failing to report suspected child abuse
  • Domestic violence episodes that take place in front of children

The Supreme Court of Nebraska recently had the opportunity to explore the contours of this concept in State v. Mendez-Osorio, 297 Neb. 520 (2017). The case revolved around a domestic incident between defendant Abel Mendez-Osorio and his partner Katia Santos-Velasquez. … Read More... “The Legal Contours of Child Endangerment”