Teen girl left at Grand Island hospital
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
By JEAN ORTIZ / The Associated Press
A 15-year-old girl has been left at a Grand Island hospital, making her the 35th child left under Nebraska’s unusual safe-haven law, state officials said Wednesday.
The Hall County teenager left at St. Francis Medical Center late Tuesday is the first case seen outside of Lincoln and Omaha. Todd Landry with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ Children and Family Services Division said in a news release that she was left by her guardian, a relative.
The girl was placed in a foster home.
Related Media
The story so far: Safe haven law
Nebraska's safe haven law, which went into effect in July 2008, was broader than most and allowed a parent to leave an infant or child at a hospi...
The story so far: the Legislature's special session
Get all the coverage of the Legislature's special session called to address Nebraska's safe haven law. (Katie Nieland/JournalStar.com)...
Related Link(s):
State officials did not immediately release more details in the case.
The current safe-haven law doesn’t include an age limit.
On Tuesday the Legislature, meeting in a special session, gave preliminary approval to a revision that would set an age limit of 30 days.
Hospital spokeswoman Cathy Brockmeier said she had no information about the case, including who dropped the girl off.
Nebraska was the last state to enact a safe-haven law, which is intended to protect unwanted newborns from being abandoned. The law took effect in July and its first use occurred in September.
Some have interpreted the law to mean that children as old as 18 could be abandoned.
That’s because the law uses the word “child” and doesn’t include any age limit. So some have taken the word “child” in the law to mean “minor,” which in Nebraska includes anyone under the age of 19. Others have taken the common-law definition, which includes those under age 14.
Health and Human Services officials, however, say that another state law pertaining to juveniles will not allow authorities to take in children older than 17.
Post Your Comment
Standards and RulesYour posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.