Child Abuse Cases Increase

In response to Sheryl Stolberg’s Nov. 14-15 articles on child abuse, it is no surprise to us that one child a week in Los Angeles County dies at the hands of his or her caretaker. We have worked in the area of child abuse prevention, teaching preschool through high-school-age children what their rights are in relation to unacceptable treatment. We have also taught teachers, administrators and parents precisely what constitutes abuse.

One point not mentioned is that in the beginning of the 1990 fiscal year, Gov. George Deukmejian eliminated the $10.1 million designated for child abuse prevention programs from the budget, thus wiping out 80 programs statewide. While these programs were active, we worked to expose the abusers, educate and instill laws that protect the children.

Now that the advocates for the children have been stopped cold, we can only expect the violence to proliferate. It’s too bad that the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect released its statistics after the elections. We can only hope that Gov.-elect Pete Wilson sees fit to reinstate funds to revive the statewide prevention programs.

PATRICIA OCCHUIZZO GIGGANS, Executive Director, Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women