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Riddle looks to close loophole in juvenile sexual offenses

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Sen. Jeanie Riddle is one step closer to seeing her first bill become law as the freshman senator pushes for a bill to close an unsettling loophole in Missouri law.

Current law only requires the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services to conduct an investigation and assessment if an individual perpetrates a sexual crime against a child and has “care, custody and control” of that child. When a juvenile offender commits a sexual offense against a fellow juvenile, state law falls flat with very few built-in procedures for follow up.

Sen. Riddle
Sen. Riddle

This is a major problem for child welfare advocates in the state, who say that sexually abused children are more likely to abuse others if not given the proper treatment, and often juveniles committing these types of offenses are former victims.

“Intuitively it makes sense to most people.” Emily van Schenkhof, Deputy Director of KidsFirst, said. “This is about early intervention, it’s about addressing behaviors before they get to gar and it’s about addressing something that we really haven’t been addressing with these children.”

Riddle’s bill empowers the Children’s Division to investigate or provide a family assessment when they are alerted to incidents of a juvenile sexual abuse of another juvenile. If an adult abuses a child, the Children’s Division is already required to intervene.

“We have the opportunity to intervene and change children’s lives,” Riddle said. “As a former teacher I understand how this can positively impact these kids, and I think my colleagues understand that as well.”

The bill has seen no opposition. Having cleared the Senate with not a single vote recorded against it and receiving a similarly unanimous reception through two House committees, Riddle and Schenkhof are both hopeful that the bill will ultimately find its way to Nixon’s desk.