Lawmakers in a number of states, including Florida, are examining Caylee's Law, which would make parents or guardians responsible for reporting a missing child within a reasonable amount of time. Caylee's Law was advocated through an online petition by Michelle Crowder, an Oklahoma woman who argues that Anthony should have ''been held accountable for not reporting Caylee's disappearance.'' Three days after the verdict was announced, the petition had garnered 700,000 online signatures and attracted a great deal of media attention. The petition calls for a law requiring parents, caretakers, or legal guardians to report a missing child within 24 hours and to report a child's death within one hour of discovery. Those who violate the law would be charged with a felony.
Anthony, who waited 30 days before notifying authorities that her daughter was missing, was only convicted of four misdemeanors for misleading law enforcement officials during the investigation. Anthony originally told authorities that Caylee had been abducted by the nanny but later admitted to lying. The child's remains were discovered six months later in the woods near the Anthony home. Anthony is scheduled to be released from jail on July 17th.
Existing federal law states that the police must report every missing child case to the National Crime Information Center. If the missing person is under the age of 21, there is no waiting period for filing the case. Furthermore, each state has certain requirements in place that require teachers, social workers, and physicians to report suspicions of child abuse. However, there is no statute or federal law in place that requires an individual to report a missing person. According to Oklahoma State Rep. Paul Wesselhoft there needs to be a law that enforces the reporting of a missing or deceased child within a certain timeframe. Wayne Ivey, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's resident agent in charge for Brevard County said that according to national statistics, 44% of kidnapped children who are murdered are killed within one hour of the abduction. In the three hours immediately following abduction, that number rises to 76%.
According to Wesselhof, any measures that are formed as a result of the Caylee's Law petition should be handled at a state, rather than a federal, level because states are typically responsible for the prosecution of child abuse, neglect, or death cases. However, any bills that are brought forward will not be introduced until the next legislative session, at the earliest.
Although Caylee's Law will not be introduced immediately, the fact that lawmakers are considering the situation provides reassurance for some. ''It's very sad that we even need a law like this, but Casey Anthony just proved that we do as unfortunate as that is,'' said Florida State Rep. Scott Plakon.
