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Protect Children Against Abusers

Those who commit certain types of crimes should never be free again. Their offenses are so heinous that they have forfeited any opportunity for “a second chance.”

A bill we told you about Sunday, “Emmaleigh’s Law,” is intended by some West Virginia legislators to ensure that is the case in our state.

Senate Bill 288 is named in memory of Emmaleigh Barringer, who during the 10 months of her life lived in Jackson County with her mother. One day she was left in the car of the mother’s boyfriend, Benjamin R. Taylor.

Taylor beat the child and raped her, according to police. Her massive injuries killed Emmaleigh.

In March, Taylor will have a hearing on charges of murder and sexual assault. He claims he “blacked out” and doesn’t remember anything about what happened to the little girl.

If found guilty, Taylor will spend a long time — the rest of his life, we hope — in prison. Should there be any possibility he can ever emerge from behind bars?

Had by some miracle the child survived, penalties available to prosecutors would be more limited.

“Emmaleigh’s Law” is aimed at keeping monsters such as Taylor allegedly is locked up for at least 20 years. Its provisions are that anyone causing the death of a child by abuse would go to prison for 20-80 years. Sexual abuse by anyone in a position of trust would carrying a sentence of 20-40 years.

Obviously, SB 288 is appropriate in cases such as that of Emmaleigh Barringer. But what about less heinous situations?

Stiffer penalties are called for there, too. The bill would increase the punishment for child neglect resulting in death to 6-30 years. Child abuse resulting in injury would carry a penalty of two to 10 years behind bars.

Anyone intentionally neglecting or abusing a child is guilty of a crime that makes the blood of most West Virginians boil. We want the perpetrators to be punished severely.

More important, we want them to be imprisoned long enough that the chance of them victimizing others is, if not eliminated, curtailed severely.

“Emmaleigh’s Law” would accomplish that.

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