Casey Anthony
/ File photo
On sentencing day for Casey Anthony for lying to police about her missing daughter who later turned up dead, a New York lawmaker is introducing a bill that would try to prevent similar cases in the future.
The legislation, announced by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D, Brooklyn), require parents, guardians and caretakers to notify police in a timely manner when a child dies by accident or otherwise.
It would also require them to notify police when a child goes missing so steps can be taken to find the child before it's too late.
Violators would face felony charges.
"Every child's life is a precious and sacred thing. It is unacceptable that failure to report your child missing or deceased is not a felony crime," Assemblyman Ortiz said. "We cannot allow a child's death or disappearance to go unnoticed by our community. In light of the deaths of various adolescents throughout our Country, New York needs to have protections and repercussions in law to protect our children."
2-year-old Caylee Anthony disappeared in 2008. Her death wasn't reported until a month after she vanished. Her mother Casey was found not guilty this week of murdering her little girl, but she was convicted on four counts of lying to police.
"Should a child suffer an untimely death, that child deserves justice," Ortiz said. "We can ensure that no parent goes unpunished for failing to report the disappearance or death of their child to law enforcement in a timely manner. I believe that this piece of legislation has the potential to protect and save numerous lives and provide consequences for those who fail to act."
The proposed legislation in New York isn't the only effort to change the way missing children are reported. Lawmakers in Florida and Oklahoma are pushing for similar laws.
There's also a online effort to create a federal law in Caylee's name.
In less than 36 hours, more than 250,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the creation of "Caylee's Law," which would make it a felony for a parent to fail to report a missing child to police.
The petition was started on Change.org by an Oklahoma mother of two. The website calls itself "the world's fastest-growing platform for social change." Read more about why she wants to see the law passed.
The movement has gone viral over the last few days with swelling support from people outraged by Anthony's acquittal on murder charges. Click here to sign the petition.
Do you think the law needs to change when it comes to reporting missing children? Do you think this is a state or federal issue? Would you support it? Leave your thoughts below.
