Pennsylvania prosecutors swamped with child abuse reports
A nearly 40 percent increase in the number of reported cases of child abuse in Pennsylvania is straining the resources of county district attorneys’ offices, with one prosecutor saying her staff is overwhelmed by the surging workload.
Prosecutors say they support a 2014 legislative overhaul of the state’s child abuse law, which, among other things, expanded the definition of child abuse and made more adults legally responsible for reporting suspected cases of it. But they’re having trouble keeping up with the resulting surge in abuse claims.
Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller says her office is “absolutely crushed by the increase in numbers.” Pennsylvania lawmakers approved about two dozen measures in response to the child sexual abuse scandal involving former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
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