This snapshot into the Safe Passage Investigative report data demonstrates that malicious / intentional harm kills many children every year in Minnesota. The statistics below represent only 88 of the almost 200 child maltreatment deaths since 2014. We only know of child deaths that were reported in the media or had court cases filed. We will never know how many children lived through violent deadly attacks, failed suicides or other life threatening events.
The Safe Passage reports suggests a dire need for more metrics based outcomes from Child Protective Services and other mandated reporters if we are to keep our youngest citizens safe from child maltreatment death and torture. Safe Passage founder Rich Gehrman pointed (short KSTP video) out the reason torture doesn’t appear often in these reports is that the bar for torture is our state is very high (there are five elements that all have to be recorded).
In my years as a CASA guardian ad litem at least five of my caseload children suffered years of rape, beatings, starvation and other forms of trauma. None of them were ever classified as tortured. They were tortured by the World Health Organization’s definition of torture; “extended exposure to violence and deprivation”.
Fatality Report Statistics
2014 – Five cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 3 Negligence/ Accidental death: 2 (death by suicide, negligence of foster placement where needs unmet; death by positional asphyxia while caregiver sleeping/ on meth bender)
By County: Hennepin: 2; Itasca:1; Ramsey: 1; Scott: 1
2015 – Twelve cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 10 Negligence/ Accidental death: 2 (drowning in pool – lack of supervision; positional asphyxia)
By County: Aitkin:1; Dakota: 1; Hennepin: 5; Pine: 1; Ramsey: 2; Sherburne:1;
St. Louis: 1
2016 – Six cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 5 Negligence/ Accidental death: 1 (drowning while left unattended in bath; caught in drive by shooting)
By County: Anoka:1; Beltrami:1; Hennepin: 4
2017 – Eleven cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 9 Negligence/ Accidental death: 2 (asphyxia from unsafe sleeping conditions; co-sleeping death)
By County: Anoka: 1; Dakota: 1; Hennepin: 4; Hubbard: 1; Isanti: 1; Ramsey: 1;
St. Louis: 1; Washington: 1
2018 – Sixteen cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 16 Negligence/ Accidental death: 0
By County: Anoka: 1; Benton: 1; Cass: 1; Cottonwood: 1; Dakota: 1; Goodhue:1; Hennepin: 2; Itasca:1; Otter Tail: 1; Ramsey: 1; Red Lake: 2; Scott:1; St. Louis: 1;
Wilkin: 1
2019 – Seven cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 5 Negligence/ Accidental death: 2 (drowning, left children home alone; positional asphyxia)
By County: Hennepin: 4; Ramsey: 1; St. Louis: 1; Washington: 1
2020 – Fourteen cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 10 Negligence/ Accidental death: 4 (co-sleeping; left in hot vehicle; fall down stairs; accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound)
By County: Anoka: 1; Blue Earth: 1; Carlton: 1; Clay: 1; Dakota: 1; Hennepin: 2; Mower: 1; Olmstead: 2; Ramsey: 2; St. Louis: 1; Sherburne: 1
2021 – Thirteen cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 12 Negligence/ Accidental death: 1 (positional asphyxia from co-sleeping)
By County: Blue Earth: 2; Hennepin: 3; Mower: 1; Olmstead: 1; Otter Tail: 1;
Ramsey: 3; Sterns: 1; Washington: 1
2022 – Four cases; Intentional/malicious harm: 3 Negligence/ Accidental death: 1 (positional asphyxia)
By County: Hennepin: 2; Kanabec: 1; Renville: 1
ALL ADULTS ARE THE PROTECTORS OF ALL CHILDREN
KARA Public Service Announcement (30 seconds)
KARA Signature Video (4 minute)
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