FACING THE FACTS Criminal Consequences of Child Abuse Homicides

h Though prosecution and sentencing processes have built-in discretion to accommodate the circumstances of each case, prosecutors, judges, and other experts in criminal justice believe that the wide variation in the outcomes listed above is beyond the expected bounds of discretion, and occurs primarily for two reasons. h First, it is important to recognize that successful prosecution requires sufficient evidence, which requires excellent investigation, which requires a secure crime scene, which requires quick identification of the crime. Thus, many systems — emergency medical services, medical/hospital providers, law enforcement, medical examiners, social services — must collaborate effectively for prosecutors to present a case. Regrettably, such collaboration is often lacking.