Washington State House Democrats

Jan. 25, 2005

OLYMPIA – Legislation to save neglected children from the fate that took the lives of Justice and Raiden Robinson last fall was introduced in the state House of Representatives today by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, who chairs the Juvenile Justice & Family Law Committee.

Six-week-old Raiden and sixteen-month-old Justice were found dead of starvation on Nov. 14 in a Kent apartment strewn with more than 300 empty beer cans. They had evidently been dead for days before police found their emaciated bodies and their mother passed out in a drunken stupor. The mother, Marie Robinson, has been charged with murder.

Dickerson’s legislation, which will be called the "Justice and Raiden Act," expands the powers of judges and state Child Protective Services (CPS) to intervene when child neglect or maltreatment pose a substantial risk of harm to a child.

"This measure requires CPS to offer parents substance-abuse treatment or other services that are needed to protect neglected children," said Dickerson. "We hope that children can remain safely in their homes, but if the parents refuse treatment, then judges will have the power to remove the kids from the home until the danger is fixed."

House Bill 1482 has been referred to the Children & Family Services Committee and is expected to gather broad support from pediatricians, health and law enforcement officials and other advocates for children.

"How many more children will have to die before we fix the gaping holes in the CPS safety net for neglected kids?," asked Dickerson.

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