According to a study in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, in Utah, child abuse homicide offenders and adult homicide offenders seem to be convicted at a similar rate. Child abuse homicide offenders also appear to receive comparable levels in how severe they are sentenced.

The researchers write:

“Homicide ranks as one of the top five causes of childhood death in the United States. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System reported 1,740 child fatalities in 2008 resulting from child abuse and neglect, representing a fatality rate from abuse and neglect of 2.33 per 100,000 children in the general population.” The researchers describe child abuse homicide as “an act or a failure to act on part of a guardian that results in a child’s death.”

In order to compare the conviction rate and how severe the sentencing was for adult homicide offenders and child abuse homicide offenders, Hilary A. Hewes, M.D., and colleagues from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, analyzed homicide data from the National Violent Death Reporting System in the state for all deaths that were outlined as homicides between January 2002 and December 2007. The Utah State Code explains that: “criminal homicide constitutes child abuse homicide if, under circumstances not amounting to aggravated murder, the actor causes the death of a person younger than 18 years and the death results from child abuse.”

During the investigational period, they discovered 373 homicides in Utah, 334 of which were incorporated in the examination. 66 cases (19.8%) were child homicides, out of which 52 cases (15.6%) were believed to be child abuse homicide, according to Utah Statues. 34 of the 52 cases were within Utah state jurisdiction and had identified a suspect. Out of the 34 cases, 30 had convicted the suspect, making a conviction rate of 88.2%. Out of the 268 adult homicide cases that were included in the investigation, 135 had identified a suspect. Of the 135 cases, 112 had convicted the suspect (83%).

The researchers discovered that out of the 211 homicide convictions, the conviction rate for child abuse homicides (88.2%) was comparable to the conviction rate for adult offenders (83%). They discovered no considerable differences in the level of crime or how severe suspects were sentenced between child abuses homicide and adult homicide. Furthermore, examinations revealed that most of the suspects of child abuse homicide were male, the parent of the victim and of white race/ethnicity.

The researchers conclude:

“Suspects of child abuse homicide are convicted at a rate similar to that of suspects of adult homicide and receive similar levels of felony conviction and severity of sentencing. Much could be learned by replicating this study in other states and by comparing data across legislations for conviction and sentencing outcomes.”

Written by Grace Rattue