HARRISBURG PATRIOT-NEWS: …At a hearing before the state’s task force on child protection on Monday, [Dauphin County’s Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean ] McCormack said it’s time to make the grade of the penalty match the seriousness of the abuse. Failing to report is now a misdemeanor of the third degree.
“What message are we sending the public? If we really want to take seriously somebody failing to report, we need to put some teeth into that law,” McCormack said.
“If somebody is raping the child and they don’t report that, thereby endangering the child time and time and time again and probably endangering other children … that violation of the mandated reporting act should be a felony of the first degree,” he said. “They are allowing the abuse to continue and that would continue to harm that child.” … (more)
