Child abuse cases over last 18 months reveal alarming trends

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) has examined the most severe physical child abuse cases from the past 18 months and some alarming trends have surfaced. While the overall number of child abuse cases has decreased, the severity of the cases remains a concern. The victims of severe abuse tend to be young babies and the perpetrators are younger parents or caregivers.

The examination of 51 cases of severe physical abuse revealed:

• 10 fatalities, five of which are children four months old or younger

• 16 children had five or more...