MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – Children in protective care would no longer be placed with admitted child abusers under “Ethan’s Law,” which cleared the State Assembly in a unanimous voice vote and is on its way to the Governor’s desk.
State Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere), and State Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc), say the bill closes loopholes in state law which led to the brutal death of Ethan Hauschultz, a seven-year-old Manitowoc boy.
“This is one that can and should be signed, and I’m just extremely pleased about that,” Jacque told WTAQ News. “These are really essential protections where Wisconsin has been behind in terms of really making sure that we’re looking after children need a protective services.”
The lawmakers say Ethan suffered a ‘deadly pattern of cruel abuse’ at home, before his death in April 2018. County workers lawfully placed him in this home, despite what Jacque calls a lengthy record of violence by his designated caregiver.
“I think this is going to be really critical in making sure that we’re not putting children back in harm’s way when they’re removed from an abusive situation,” Jacque said. “This should be just a very basic guidelines that should be in place for child placement, and something I think our county Human Services workers are going to welcome because it removes that gray area, that pressure, to place a child in an unsafe situation.”
Under the bill, human services workers could not place a child with any adult who had been found guilty of abusing a child, entered a plea of “no contest” to a child-abuse charge, or plea-bargained that crime down to a lesser offense. They say that focus was maintained because Ethan had been placed with a great uncle who had been found guilty of felony child abuse in 2009, among several other violent past offenses. But because of a plea bargain, his record showed the conviction as disorderly conduct, a non-violent misdemeanor.
“This bill will bring some justice to the terrible suffering Ethan Hauschultz underwent that lead to his death, and protect children in the future,” Tittl said in a press release.
“Red flags were everywhere – this gap in the law basically took Ethan’s life,” Jacque added.
The bipartisan measure passed 12-0 in the Assembly Committee on Children and Families and 5-0 in the Senate Committee on Human Services, Children and Families.
Jacque is optimistic the governor will sign off on it soon.
