Panel to review state laws on child abuse

Gov. Susana Martinez is creating a working group to improve state child abuse laws to help reduce the rate of the crime.

“There are clear deficiencies in our current system,” Martinez said Wednesday. “I’ve identified several, and we’ve tried to fix them. But we know there are more and I’m hopeful that if we identify all of the loopholes and deficiencies that currently exist in our child abuse laws, we can take our concerns to Santa Fe and work with lawmakers of both parties to better protect and defend New Mexico children.”

The creation of a child abuse working group comes after Martinez has faced opposition in the Legislature to pass child abuse bill she backed, such as an effort to increase jail sentences for murderers convicted of killing a child between 13 and 17 years old.

Members of the working group have not been named.