They held a chilling vigil a couple of weeks ago in Raleigh, the kind that gets little publicity and whose participants aren’t the type to seek fanfare.

But we need to publicize what occurred, and particularly what one participant  Macon County Det. Robbie Holland  had to say. It may save the lives of small children throughout North Carolina.
The vigil was held for the victims of child abuse homicides in this state last year, for 29 beautiful, innocent children who had their lives snuffed out by sick adults.

Representatives from one Western North Carolina county were there to remember a 17-year-old paraplegic. The injuries that sentenced the girl to life as a cripple came at the hands of a father when she was an infant. The shakings broke her, and she spent her life suffering from that abuse until she finally died before graduating from high school. Those gathered in Raleigh said a prayer for that poor mountain girl.

Holland, as some may remember, came to speak for baby Jessica Nicole, the child whose body was found on Feb. 28, 2000, in the Macon County landfill only moments before she would have been buried beneath tons of trash and perhaps forgotten forever.

But she was found by Holland, and now others may avoid a similar fate.

On the day when Jessica Nicole would have been celebrating her first birthday, her mother was sentenced to prison for killing her. The mother, a Western Carolina University student and Franklin High School graduate, will remain in jail for at least seven years.

So they remembered Jessica Nicole in Raleigh, but memorializing her has taken on an added significance. Holland made a promise to that child when he came upon her body  “I would find out who did this and I would do what I could to keep this from happening again.”

Holland kept the promise he made 20 months ago. He says he went to his pastor and his congregation for help, and he began contacting editors and others who could help get the message out  don’t let it happen again. Even more important, Holland’s message was about prevention. As he wrote in the speech delivered in Raleigh, “Why should we stand by and just hope it doesn’t happen again?”

That was the motive that led to the introduction into the North Carolina General Assembly of the Infant Homicide Prevention Act (full text, click here). The bill was shepherded through the General Assembly by Rep. Phil Haire of Sylva and Sen. Bob Carpenter of Franklin. Part of the law went into effect in July, and the remainder will hit the books Dec. 1.

Here’s what it says: “No parent shall be prosecuted ... for abandonment of an infant less than 15 days of age when that parent voluntarily delivers the infant to one of the following individuals and does not express an intent to return for the infant.”

The list of places to leave the child includes a doctor’s office, a health department, a police station or with any law enforcement officer, a social services department or with a DSS employee, EMTs or at fire stations, and with “any other adult of suitable discretion who willingly accepts the infant.”

There are those who think this law is a bad one, who believe it will encourage irresponsible behavior by young women. I won’t argue that point, but I sincerely believe the law’s merits far, far outweigh its flaws. Its intent is to prevent the killing of babies by young mothers or fathers who are already irresponsible or sick. It is intended to prevent deaths like Jessica’s. Let the baby live, and then pray that the mom, dad or both change their ways.

The state’s worsening financial woes have affected this bill. It was supposed to be accompanied by $150,000 for two years so a media campaign could be mounted to let young women and men know that it had been passed. The funding was cut.

So now, it is up to the media, community groups, and child abuse advocacy organizations to help spread the word: if a young girl makes a mistake and gets pregnant, she can give up the child without fear of repercussions. Chances are good that child will be adopted by one of the thousands of couples who desperately want a child and are unable.

Holland’s involvement in this bill and the lives it will save can not be understated. Here’s what he said about getting the word out:

“I agree that it’s a real shame that we even had to consider such laws but, after all, if it saves the life of just one child, isn’t it worth it? Step up, take notice, and get involved in your community and you might be surprised who follows. These little ones who we are remembering here today will never have that chance. Let people know about the Infant Homicide Prevention Act. Do it in memory of the baby girl named Jessica Nicole and in memory of these other 29 little ones. While we can’t help any of these children, we can take action to help prevent it from happening again.”

(For the full text of the Infant Homicide Protection Act, click here)

 

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The Smoky Mountain News