Child Abuse

The parents of a 7-week-old infant and another man were indicted by a Harford County grand jury in the April death of the baby, who had been under the close watch of county social services, officials said yesterday. Richard Mosely, 22, and Giovanna Mosely, 26, of Abingdon have been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in death, and second-degree child abuse nearly five months after their son, Seth, was found unresponsive in the family's Abingdon apartment on April 10. Daniel Reilly, 20, of Bel Air, also was charged.

North County State penalizes power plants In a major shift, Gov. Martin O'Malley's environmental agency has decided to enforce air pollution rules at coal-fired power plants that were routinely ignored under past administrations. The Maryland Department of the Environment announced Thursday a settlement with Constellation Energy that will impose $100,000 in penalties and require $9 million in pollution control equipment at its H. A. Wagner and Brandon Shores power plants in Anne Arundel County, and the C. P. Crane power plant in eastern Baltimore County.

For the second time in less than a week, a popular teacher at a Howard County high school has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of sex offenses against students. Police arrested Alan Meade Beier, a 52-year-old science teacher at the top-performing River Hill High School in Clarksville, yesterday at his home. They say he undressed and photographed a 16-year-old male student Monday evening in his classroom. Police also say he fondled a 17-year-old female student on two occasions, most recently in the fall.

A third-grade teacher at Logan Elementary School in Dundalk entered an Alford plea yesterday to child abuse involving three of his former female pupils and resigned from his job.Stephen Douglas Vaught, 35, of the 8500 block of Harris Ave. in Parkville was charged with three counts of child abuse in December after three 9-year-old girls in his class told police he had inappropriately touched them. In front of Baltimore County Circuit Judge Alexander Wright, Vaught entered an Alford plea to one count of child abuse, which means he declined to admit guilt but conceded prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him."

Naomi Haines Griffith brought a very simple message on how to prevent child abuse to Harford County yesterday: Parents have to love and nurture their children."

Abuse of children may not be declining in MarylandKate Shatzkin's article, "Conditions for Md. children mixed, survey finds" (April 7) was a welcome introduction to the "Maryland Kids Count Fact Book." However, I would caution anyone from concluding that child abuse and neglect are declining in Maryland.The Kids Count data only indicate a drop in the number of abuse and neglect cases confirmed by Child Protective Service workers. Children's advocates are greatly concerned that Child Protective Service workers are ruling out an increasingly high percentage of these cases.

A father who beat his infant daughter -- and whose son's death remains under police scrutiny -- was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday by a judge who said the severity of the beating warranted more time than state guidelines recommend."

The state's highest court, ruling in a high-profile adoption case, said yesterday that a mother who murdered her daughter cannot regain custody of her son without proving to a judge she will not abuse him, too.The unanimous opinion overturned a Montgomery County Circuit Court ruling that returned the boy to his mother, who admitted smothering her infant daughter in 1992.The court sent the case back to Montgomery County to decide whether Cornilous, now 3, is in danger if returned to Latrena Pixley, 25, his mother.

OUR SOCIETY is commendably concerned about nurturing and protecting our children. We pass laws against child labor and child abuse and work constantly to improve our schools.But do our measures sometimes backfire? This is a true account of one involving child abuse that did.It is the story of two immigrant families whose names I've changed for this article to protect their privacy. One family includes Thomas and his wife, who settled in Baltimore 15 years ago. The other family, which came from the same town as Thomas, consists of Mary and her son, Jacob, 12.Mary speaks little English and struggles financially.

A Westminster man who beat his 2-year-old son and left the boy and his 1-year-old sister unattended for 3 1/2 hours in December received a double dose of justice yesterday in Carroll County Circuit Court.Troy T. Haller, 26, was sentenced to six years -- with half suspended -- for child abuse, but received a five-year sentence for a violation of probation on an assault conviction.Judge Francis M. Arnold struck that probation and reimposed the original five-year term with credit for time served.

A Pasadena father pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter, admitting that he had shaken his 1-month-old daughter too hard as he tried to calm the crying infant. The child, Lilyanna Alora Wirick, died Jan. 15, six days after she was taken to the Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, then transferred to Johns Hopkins Children Center. In a low, sometimes-hoarse voice, John Wayne Wirick, 32, answered the questions posed by Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Paul A. Hackner.

Raymond H. Starr Jr., a retired University of Maryland, Baltimore County developmental psychologist who was an internationally known expert on child abuse, died Tuesday of cancer at his Pikesville home. He was 69. Dr. Starr was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., where he graduated from Pen-Day School in 1958. He earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences in psychology from the Johns Hopkins University in 1962. In 1965, he earned a master's degree in experimental psychology from the University of Denver.

A 27-year-old Silver Spring man convicted in the death of a 3-year-old girl was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison, the maximum for involuntary manslaughter and child abuse resulting in death. Erik Stoddard's first two convictions in the case were overturned by an appeals court and a Baltimore Circuit judge. In May, a Baltimore jury convicted Stoddard, formerly of the 2500 block of Moore Ave. in Baltimore, for the third time. Baltimore Circuit Judge Kaye Allison sentenced Stoddard to 10 years on the manslaughter charge and 30 years on the child abuse charge.

After being sworn in, the newest addition to the Harford County District Court bench fidgeted with the zipper of her new judge's robe. A smiling Judge Susan Hower Hazlett tugged on the obstinate zipper, then shrugged and said, "I don't know how to do this." In front of friends, colleagues and the local legal community in a packed County Council chambers, the former Baltimore County prosecutor was sworn in as the newest Harford County District Court judge. After thanking her family, mentors and friends, she vowed to be "guided with decency and integrity."

When it comes to releasing information about life-threatening child abuse and neglect cases, Maryland gets a failing grade in a national study by child advocates. Regrettably, it's well-deserved, since repeated efforts to shine more light on these cases have been rebuffed in the General Assembly. The advocates' sensible push for more public disclosure is meant to expose - and correct - child-welfare system failures that may contribute to whatever harm a child may suffer at home. Maryland's abysmal showing should finally spur the legislature to make changes, but state and local child welfare officials should voluntarily be more forthcoming whenever possible.

Thirty thousand children. That's how many are investigated by the Maryland Department of Social Services every year in suspected cases of abuse or neglect. About enough to fill Baltimore's old Memorial Stadium. Yet only when children die in the custody of DSS does the public become aware of the plight of those tens of thousands of kids. Unfortunately, the most common reaction is to assign blame without fully understanding this basic fact: Our society does not have a system designed to protect children.

One by one, friends and co-workers stepped into the witness stand and told the judge how Samuel and Donna Merryman are very giving. They talked of the loans the Whiteford couple, parents of seven children, made to those in need. How Samuel Merryman repaired homes and roofs, for free, for struggling or disabled families. And when each witness was done, the prosecutor offered a reply: an autopsy photograph of the 8-year-old son who had starved to death. Dennis Gene Merryman's jawbones and cheekbones jutted from his face, and his ribs protruded from his skeletal body.

A Towson couple charged with child abuse late last year in the death of their 2-year-old son were indicted yesterday on first-degree murder charges. Murder charges were filed against John J. Griffin and Susan Griffin of Rodgers Forge after a state medical examiner determined that the toddler died of starvation, said Baltimore County prosecutor Robin S. Coffin. The couple's son, Andrew Patrick Griffin, weighed about 13 pounds - roughly the weight of a typical 3-month-old - when he died Dec. 26 at St. Joseph Medical Center.

Many Maryland lawmakers want to get tougher on people who are required by law to report possible child abuse and neglect. Last week the Senate passed a bill that would impose criminal penalties for failing to report. Although the sentiment is understandable, it may be more important to increase training so that workers responsible for children and families in the child welfare system and their mandated helpers can do their jobs effectively. Maryland is one of about 18 states that requires everyone to report suspected child abuse, according to a legislative audit.

A 26-year-old mentally challenged woman who was charged in the death of her 7-week-old son received a 10-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree child abuse. Harford County Judge William O. Carr suspended the sentence of Giovanna Mari Mosely of Abingdon on Wednesday. Mosely was released from jail Jan. 23, according to her defense attorney. Her son, Seth Gabriel Mosely, died of head injuries April 10, according to a death certificate. In August, Mosely, her husband, Richard Norman Mosely Jr., who has brain damage from a car accident, and their roommate, Daniel Evan Reilly, were indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of child abuse.