A Lincoln County NC woman was arrested today for felony child abuse after she took her 2 year old to the emergency room with a broken femur. WCNC.com had the report and stated that the authorities led to the arrest due to inconsistencies with the mothers story as well as a polygraph test. Eventually the mother admitted to twisting her childs leg while trying to change the diaper. Unfortunately child abuse charges have become all too common in Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County and other counties across North Carolina. In most situations it tends to be a misdemeanor and is usually the result of a parent going too far with a disciplinary procedure. Due to the frail nature of a child’s bones and body, injuries will result much quicker and be more severe than contact with an adult. Many of the cases I see come in my office, are simply a parent getting angry at a child and taking that anger a shade too far. The law does allow for parental discipline and that is what typically creates a grey area in child abuse cases. Many times the case can turn on a single fact, picture or statement. As the defendant in this matter has learned and many others have learned, it is important to talk to an attorney before talking to the police. A criminal defense attorney has experience dealing with the police, and while they will typically not have you talk, they can relate information from you to the police. Criminal charges can have such an adverse effect on ones employment, schooling and many other aspects of ones life. It is always better to be safe and contact a criminal lawyer in your area before making any statements to the authorities.
See our page on defense of child abuse charges.
November 5th, 2013
