Can any of our legal eagles weigh in on the possibility of charging the adoptive parents with neglect? It doesn't seem right to me that they could just "give her back" and not even check on her health and wellbeing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So, this would be difficult. Basically, in order to be charged with neglect, it would need to be PROVEN that the adoptive mother knew that Savannah was being abused and chose not to act. If they have evidence that she knew about the physical abuse, there would be a door open to prosecute neglect. But, we know that she didn't simply "give her back", as the family had stayed in touch with RR throughout the years, even doing birthdays and holidays together. There are some who are saying that Savannah asked to go spend time with RR on the farm. And, we do know that the adoptive family was still in contact with both Savannah and RR over the phone, although it was not as frequently as what most parents would think would be expected/normal in that situation.
The way that Missouri's abandonment laws are written, neglect in that way would not apply at all. Based on Minnesota's standards, however, if it can be proven that they knew about the abuse, they could possibly be charged there. Here are some excerpts from Minnesota's neglect laws:
"A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who
knowingly permits the continuing physical or sexual abuse of a child is guilty of neglect of a child and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $ 3,000, or both."
"Endangerment. A parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who endangers the child's person or health by 1) intentionally or recklessly causing or
permitting a child to be placed in a situation likely to substantially harm the child's physical, mental, or emotional health or cause the child's death....If the endangerment results in substantial harm to the child's physical, mental, or emotional health, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $ 10,000, or both."