Editorials
Wednesday, June 17, 1998THE British au pair who was prosecuted in Massachusetts in the death of an infant in her care will be allowed to return to England. The state's highest court upheld the reduced conviction and sentence of Louise Woodward, clearing the way for her return. British au pair case put
spotlight on child abuseThe case attracted national attention because of its unusual circumstances, but also because it spotlighted an issue of growing concern -- child abuse. A recent series of cases in Hawaii has brought home the problem to island residents.
On a 4-3 vote, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the decision of Superior Court Judge Hiller B. Zobel. Woodward, 20, had been convicted by a jury of second-degree murder for the death last year of 8-month-old Matthew Eappen.
Zobel reduced that verdict to manslaughter and set Woodward free, sentencing her to the 279 days she had already served since her arrest. She was ordered not to leave the state while both sides appealed.
Prosecutors had asked the court to reinstate the jury verdict and the mandatory 15-year minimum prison sentence it carries. Defense lawyers had asked the court to either overturn the conviction or uphold Zobel's ruling so Woodward could go home.
The close vote in the high court reflected the difficulties in making the correct assessment of the evidence. Defense attorneys had said the child's injuries were pre-existing. Prosecutors said the injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
Complicating the case were the facts that the accused was a foreign national living temporarily in the United States -- making it an international incident -- and that the parents of the dead child were both physicians.
In Hawaii, state authorities have been criticized for permitting the return of children to abusive parents, sometimes with tragic results. The Woodward case, involving a live-in baby sitter, had a different set of circumstances, but the underlying problem is the same.
Child abuse is a hideous crime. Abusive parents and caregivers must be punished and when appropriate given treatment. Their victims must be protected at all costs. Once a child has been removed from an abusive situation, social workers should return that child only when it is absolutely clear that no further abuse will occur.
THE fatal shooting of an Army warrant officer on June 3 at the Waianae Army Recreation Center in the presence of his family was shocking. It was not, however, an expression of community opposition to the military presence. Waianae’s response
That was made clear by the Waianae Neighborhood Board. It voted to extend aloha and sympathy to the family of the victim, Chief Warrant Officer John Latchum Jr., and called upon federal and state officials to prosecute such crimes.
The board requested enforcement of the curfew law, which makes it illegal for children 16 and younger to be on the streets unaccompanied by adults after 10 p.m., and of the law holding parents and guardians responsible for allowing their children to violate the curfew.
A sunset candlelight vigil will be held in the victim's memory on Sunday by a group called Waianae Cares and a concert to raise funds for the family is being planned.
A 17-year-old youth has been charged with the murder. Bryson Jose, 20, who allegedly told the juvenile to fire at Latchum, also has been charged.
Col. John Woods, an Army liaison officer, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of sympathy and support for the victim's family. "We have a great relationship going here," he said.
Woods added that the Army does not want to make the recreation center "an armed camp" in the wake of the shooting but intends to strike a balance between security and rapport with the community. That seems like the right approach.
Relations between the military and the civilian community in Hawaii have been for the most part excellent. This unfortunate incident should not be permitted to spoil that.
A famous athletic shoe and apparel company, criticized for the treatment of workers by its subcontractors in Asian countries, has announced improvements to its worldwide operations. In a speech delivered last Friday to a National Press Club audience, Nike CEO Philip H. Knight disclosed some of the initiatives that, if successful, will benefit the 500,000-plus people who make Nike products. Nike just does it
These changes include:
Raising the minimum age of Nike footwear factory workers to 18, and the minimum age for all other light-manufacturing workers to 16.
"These moves do more than just set industry standards," Knight said at the end of his presentation. "They reflect who we are as a company. I don't necessarily expect you to believe that, but I will tell you this: It makes us feel better about ourselves."
Human-rights advocates, who have long criticized Nike for the exploitation of workers by its foreign subcontractors, probably feel a little better, too. However, what would really thrill them is for Nike to make sure that its subcontractors are abiding by these noble ideals.
Published by Liberty Newspapers Limited PartnershipRupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
