Safeguarding your children and the laws that protect them
Posted by GSDispatch Editor in by Will Kraus, GSD Online
Finally! The weather is warm, the skies are blue, and it will soon be officially summer. It’s time for many of us to get outside to take care of the garden, get in some outdoor exercise, or just sit outside on the patio for rest and recreation after a busy day.
It’s time for our children to be outside, too. Out of school for the summer, it’s their time to wander in the park, play ball, hit the swimming pools, and gather with friends away from parents. It is – and should be – a great time for them. However, as parents, we must also be aware of the dangers that can lurk around our parks, our swimming pools, and other places where children gather. Child sex offenders, if they are allowed, know where to seek their prey.
We’ve long had laws on the books that prohibit sex offenders from living or working near schools. However, only since 2009, when I sponsored HB 105, have we had laws that prohibit them from being within 500 feet of public parks and swimming pools where children congregate in the summer. I worked to limit their proximity because caring teachers and parents have a harder time keeping an eye on children in these places. At the same time, I also sponsored legislation, HB 106, to prohibit convicted sex offenders from serving in capacities such as a coach or athletic trainer for youth teams. When a constituent contacted me about this happening and its horrible consequences, I vowed to not let it happen again. Both of these provisions passed in HB 62.
As a parent, you can help to safeguard your children by knowing where convicted sex offenders live in your neighborhood. Convicted child sex offenders are required to register with the state, and information is available online at www.mshp.dps.mo.gov. Once you have accessed the website, you can look up offenders by entering your address and selecting a search area anywhere within one thousand feet to fifteen miles from your home. The site will map out where all the offenders in your vicinity live. When you scroll down and click on the offender’s name, it will bring up a picture, physical description and convictions. If you do not have access to the internet, you can call the Missouri Sex Offender Registry toll free at (888) 767-6747.
We must remain ever vigilant in protecting our children from these heinous predators. If protection fails, we must also work to improve health care for child victims of sexual assault. This year, in response to the lack of health care professionals trained to evaluate child sexual assault victims in Missouri, we passed HB 2270. It improves health care for child victims by educating more health care professionals on how to evaluate and communicate with abuse victims. The legislation also will allow doctors to get a second opinion by consulting with other doctors using advanced video technology. Currently, doctors are barred from sharing information about their patients with anyone, excluding law enforcement.
We as legislators must continue to identify any shortcomings in our system of protections against child sexual abuse, and we must continue to fix those problems with our actions in the legislature.
State Representative Will Kraus can be reached at 573-751-1459 or will.kraus@house.mo.gov.
