Morrell proposes law to protect kids from child abandonment

Puyallup Police Department asks Morrell to sponsor bill

OLYMPIA-Puyallup police were shocked when a 22-month-old boy nearly died in an apartment fire after his mother had abandoned him and left a cigarette burning in order to drive to an Arby's for a meal.

The police were shocked a second time when they learned that state law makes it almost impossible to prosecute child abandonment cases where criminal negligence creates a risk of bodily injury, but no serious injury actually occurs.

Searching for a solution, the Puyallup Police Department asked state Rep. Dawn Morrell, D-25, to pass a law to protect children from being abandoned in risky situations. Morrell responded this week by proposing a new law of child abandonment in the fourth degree that would make it a misdemeanor to abandon a child with criminal negligence and put the child at risk of bodily harm.

"It isn't enough to have child abandonment laws that respond after the fact to the tragedy of a child's death or serious injury. We need a law that can help prevent tragedies before more children suffer," Morrell said.

In a letter from the Puyallup Police Department requesting Morrell's help, Detective Sergeant Ryan Portmann reported "an increasing number of cases in which young children, generally between one and two years of age, are being left alone at home for prolonged periods of time."

Portmann told Morrell about another case where a mother tied pantyhose around a doorknob to lock her two-year-old in a room while she went "clubbing" in Seattle for several hours. Neighbors were alerted to the dangerous situation by the child's screams, but the loophole in state law prevented the case from being prosecuted.

Morrell said she will work with parent groups, law enforcement officials and children's advocates to fine-tune her proposal as it moves through the legislative process.

"I know the pressures that moms and dads are under these days," Morrell said. "Bringing everyone together will help us find the best way to respect the needs of parents while protecting the safety of children who are too young to protect themselves."