Prosecutors were denied an attempt to add new evidence of previous incidents at The Schoolhouse in the case against the former director
child abuse
Posted inPolitics and Government
Colorado lawmakers consider reforms to how family courts handle abuse allegations
Several people who testified in favor of the proposed reforms are plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against former custody evaluator Mark Kilmer, alleging fraud and breach of contract.
Posted inSun Investigation
Criminal charges against preschool teachers, closure of child care center tore a Colorado town apart
Parents, now scrambling to find alternative care after the abrupt closure of The Schoolhouse in Poncha Springs, are accusing authorities of overreacting to reports of a 5-year-old touching younger classmates
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government, Social Services
Moffat County caseworker accused of fabricating child abuse, neglect investigations has been charged with forgery
A Moffat County caseworker accused of fabricating reports to make it seem as if she checked on children who were the subject of abuse and neglect claims is now facing charges of forgery and abuse of public records. Hester Renee Nelms, 43, was under investigation for more than a year by the district attorney’s office […]
Posted inNews
Child abuse victims can now avoid police stations, reduce trauma at first-of-its-kind center in Colorado Springs
Warning: This article contains content related to child abuse, sexual assault and neglect. COLORADO SPRINGS —The carpet leading down the hall toward a row of interview rooms looks like green grass, and outside the forensic medical exam room, friendly owls and stuffed bears line the walls. The entire building, the first of its kind in […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Colorado mom who fatally abused 7-year-old daughter sentenced to 16 years
By Patty Nieberg, The Associated Press/Report for America A Colorado mother who fatally abused her 7-year-old daughter and lied about her health to get handouts from charities worth at least $100,000 was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in prison. Judge Patricia Herron issued the sentence to Kelly Turner after she pleaded guilty last month to […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: A Colorado without child sexual abuse is possible
We have all had to make hard choices during the pandemic, but it is time to reverse one of those tough decisions by restoring funding for child sexual abuse prevention. New research from Illuminate Colorado examines data and trends related to child sexual abuse in Colorado and provides recommendations for preventing abuse such as using […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Mark Redwine sentenced to 48 years in prison for killing his 13-year-old son
DURANGO — A Colorado father has been sentenced to a maximum 48 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death in the disappearance of his 13-year-old son nearly a decade ago. Sixty-year-old Mark Redwine was sentenced Friday by La Plata County District Court Chief Judge Jeffrey Wilson, The Durango […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: A Colorado judge’s censure demonstrates how racial bias permeates our child protection system
For the past year, parents and family members complained that a judge in Arapahoe County was biased against them because they were Black. I know this because they complained to my office – the Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman. I would learn in time that the judge in question was entrusted with overseeing the […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Colorado’s review of Catholic Church sex abuse named priests, but not those who covered up their crimes
Warning: This story contains explicit descriptions of sexual assault. A pair of explosive reports on decades of child sex abuse in Colorado’s three Catholic dioceses named 52 priests but kept confidential the identities of numerous church officials — from administrators to bishops — who covered up or ignored allegations of misconduct and transferred known child […]