A new state law increasing the criminal penalty for child abuse is set to take effect on Tuesday.
The law, which passed the Tennessee General Assembly unanimously earlier this year as HB 0045, increases the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony for a person who commits child abuse by knowingly treating a child between the ages of nine and 17 in such a manner as to inflict injury.
Tennessee State Representative Jake McCalmon (R-Franklin), who sponsored the legislation in the General Assembly, previously said he filed the bill after he became aware that the law at the time granted harsher punishments for grand theft or stealing property valued at $500 or more than abusing and injuring children above the age of nine.
Another related bill McCalmon sponsored this legislative session that is set to take effect on July 1 is HB 0973, which extends the statute of limitations for 24 specific child sex abuse offenses from 25 to 30 years after a victim’s 18th birthday.
HB 0973, which also passed the General Assembly unanimously, further increases the statute of limitations for civil action to be taken for certain child sex abuse offenses from 15 years to 30 years from the date a victim turns 18 years old.
“Sexual abuse of a child is a heinous crime and the evil people responsible must be held accountable,” McCalmon said when the bill passed. “Increasing the statute of limitations is a common-sense way to ensure victims receive the justice they deserve while getting some of the worst of mankind off our streets.”
Tennessee’s 2023 State of the Child Report shows that the Volunteer State was the 15th highest in the nation with recurring child abuse victims.
“In 2021, Tennessee had 3,962 first-time victims of abuse, representing the fourth lowest rate in the country. Across all victimization, both first-time and recurring, Tennessee ranks 15th, indicating the state experiences higher instances of recurring abuse than others,” the report reads.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
