11 Year Old Boy is 31st "Safe Haven" Case in State of Nebraska

News sources in Omaha, Nebraska report that an 11 year old boy was left at a Nebraska hospital yesterday.  The boy, who is from Florida, was left abandoned right before Nebraska lawmakers met to change "safe haven" laws, which were much criticized by the public.

To date, the boy is the 31st child that was left abandoned since the "safe haven" laws took effect last July.  The law, which was intended to protect abandoned newborn children, did not have specified age limitations.  This means that the protective law applied to children of all ages.

The director of children and family services, Todd Landry, stated that the child had been left in the Boys Town National Research Hospital by his father on Wednesday afternoon.  The boy is from Miami-Dade County, Florida, but police are unsure if the boy's family has any connections within the state of Nebraska.   At this time, the department has contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families and reported the abandonment incident.

This Friday, state Legislature is supposed to meet to amend the law.  State legislators would like to change the law so that the age limit is 3 years.  Right now, Nebraska has some of the most lenient "Safe Haven" laws, but changing the age limit to 3 years would make the laws stricter than other state laws.

The revised laws are expected to take effect early next week if they are passed by the senators with an emergency clause signed by the governor.

If you need assistance with a legal matter involving child negligence or child abuse, click here to find a criminal defense attorney!