Child Abuse

Sometimes parents or those in charge of children are charged with using improper force in the correction of the child. A parent may use too much otherwise lawful force, leaving a mark or a bruise or worse; a parent may use the wrong kind of force (using a weapon or tool, like a belt or a heated spoon).

• Use of too much force or lawful force but leaving a mark or bruise.
• Children tell fanciful stories to others, who overreact and call the police.
• Overreaction of bystanders to a child’s story and police are called in.
• Parents in the middle of a nasty divorce falsely allege an assault against a child by the opposing spouse.

Whatever the issue, I have a great deal of experience handling these difficult cases. You need a lawyer who can stand up for you, and help you get a fair hearing. My approach in the management of Child Abuse cases may include retaining experts such as former Children’s Aid Society investigators to interview kids. Children are naturally sympathetic witnesses, and the passions of police and prosecutors, and judges, can be fiercely aroused by allegations child abuse. Because of this it is imperative to assess the investigative techniques of the police in such cases to determine whether there has been any unfairness or impropriety in the way the police have gathered their evidence. I have also been able to get accused parents into specific programs that will help satisfy the Court that they identified a problem and have learned new and appropriate ways of dealing with the stresses of child rearing.