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Martinez Wants Legislature To Change Child Abuse Reporting Law

Office of the Governor

Gov. Susana Martinez will ask the Legislature to fix what she views as loopholes in child abuse laws, including a recent court decision narrowing who's required to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect.

Martinez outlined her proposals Thursday to a meeting of officials from state child protection agencies.

The Court of Appeals ruled last month that only 10 categories of people listed in law, including physicians and teachers, must report suspected child abuse to authorities.

Martinez disagreed with the court's interpretation of the law, and said she'll ask the Legislature to make clear that every person must report suspected abuse.

When she was district attorney, Martinez prosecuted members of a Las Cruces family for not reporting the abuse of a child known as Baby Brianna, who died in 2002.

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