Las Vegas Sun

February 12, 2012

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Court: Abuse laws apply to girl, 11, who dropped infant 9 times

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 | 4:46 p.m.

Sun Coverage

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that an 11-year-old Las Vegas girl can be judged a delinquent for severely injuring a 6-month-old baby.

Attorneys for the girl, identified as Robin P., said the child abuse law couldn't be applied to an 11-year-old. They argued that could mean one youngster hitting another could be judged guilty of child abuse, which attorneys said would be an absurd result.

But the court said there is no age limit in the law, which has a goal to “protect minors from abuse, neglect and endangerment regardless of the age of the offender.”

The court said if the Legislature intended to limit the law only to adult offenders, it would have expressly done so.

Family Court Judge William O. Voy ruled Robin P. committed child abuse resulting in substantial bodily harm and placed her on 36 months of probation.

The mother of Robin was in the Henderson jail and the juvenile was placed in the custody of another woman at the Sierra Vista Apartments.

In September 2007 Robin was with the baby, who suffered a skull fracture and subdural and retina hemorrhages. Robin initially denied any responsibility for the injuries, but later admitted dropping the baby nine times.

Robin suggested her statements to authorities were involuntary but the court rejected that argument.

The court said “sufficient evidence supports the district court’s conclusion that appellant (Robin) knew the wrongfulness of her actions.”

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