On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Domestic Violence on Friday, September 4, 2015.
When most people think of domestic violence, they imagine spouses in a heated argument, and usually the assumption is that the man eventually loses control and strikes the woman. This is a fairly common and frighteningly accurate idea of domestic violence, but there is much more to domestic violence than a man beating a woman, or even a woman beating a man. In some extremely tragic instances, there are children involved in the incident as well.
Like every other state in the country, Missouri takes child abuse very seriously, and when an incident of domestic violence involves a child, it will almost certainly be an issue of abuse. Under Missouri law, abuse includes physical, emotional and, of course, sexual action taken against a child that is not accidental. However, spanking for discipline is allowed within reason. Any individual convicted of such abuse will find himself or herself facing serious legal consequences.
In Missouri, any child abuse is considered at least a Class C felony, and a conviction can mean years of prison time. More serious abuse becomes Class B, which increases the legal consequences, and if a child is killed from abuse suffered, it is a Class A felony, which could mean life in prison for the abuser. This information is important for anyone who is suffering from abuse because you need to know that the law is on your side.
If you are in an abusive relationship, and especially if your abuser is also taking advantage of a child, then that abuser is in serious violation of the law and could be subject to years in prison. If you can, get into contact with an attorney who can help you get a restraining order to secure your immediate safety, and then help you build a case against your abuser in order to put the abuser behind bars and ensure your long-term safety.
