Opinion ID: 1314674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: previous abusive acts toward other children

Text: The appellant contends that the circuit court erred in admitting evidence of prior allegations of abuse involving children other than Carlita. Throughout the proceedings, the social service workers, having worked with the family even prior to Carlita's birth, testified with regard to the appellant's treatment of Justin and Christopher. With regard to the appellant's contention that her violent acts toward her other children are irrelevant to the abuse and neglect proceedings regarding Carlita, we disagree with the proposition that acts of abuse and neglect toward other children are inadmissible. We find that evidence regarding the appellant's previous abuse of Justin was appropriately introduced to serve the broad, legitimate purpose of providing the court with an understanding of the appellant's home environment and of the appellant's propensity toward abusive and/or neglectful treatment of children. We further find that introduction of evidence of this nature in a parental rights termination case is not violative of W.Va.R.Evid. 404(b). [21] While we recognize that the probative value of such evidence may, at some point, be substantially outweighed by its unfair prejudicial impact, that balancing is within the sound discretion of the trial court, and its decision will be reversed only upon a clear abuse of discretion. We therefore hold that prior acts of violence, physical abuse, or emotional abuse toward other children are relevant in a termination of parental rights proceeding, are not violative of W.Va.R.Evid. 404(b), and a decision regarding the admissibility thereof shall be within the sound discretion of the trial court. While evidence of past acts is a relevant factor to be considered, it is not necessarily dispositive and will not necessarily preclude a finding of fitness. Our holding permitting evidence of prior abusive acts is consistent with our previous decisions regarding the admissibility of evidence of prior acts of parents under inquiry in a termination proceeding. For instance, in Nancy Viola R., we encountered a situation wherein the child's father had been convicted of first degree murder of the child's mother. In discussing the admissibility of the father's repeated acts of abuse and violence toward the mother, culminating in her death, we stated that such acts were relevant to the determination of parental fitness and should have resulted in a finding that the father was an unfit custodian for his five-year-old son. 356 S.E.2d at 464. We recognized that spousal abuse is a factor to be considered in determining parental fitness for child custody in Nancy Viola R., as well as in Collins v. Collins, 171 W.Va. 126, 297 S.E.2d 901 (1982). We have not, however, prior to this time, had the opportunity to directly address the impact that prior abuse of children other than the one presently under consideration may have upon a determination of parental fitness. However, since prior spousal abuse is an appropriate factor in determining parental fitness, then clearly prior child abuse must be considered even more probative. In pertinent part of syllabus part 2 of State v. Edward Charles L., ___ W.Va.___, 398 S.E.2d 123 (1990), a criminal case, we held the following: Collateral acts or crimes may be introduced in cases involving child sexual assault or sexual abuse victims to show the perpetrator had a lustful disposition towards the victim, a lustful disposition towards children generally, or a lustful disposition to specific other children provided such evidence relates to incidents reasonably close in time to the incident(s) giving rise to the indictment.... Thus, even within the more stringent requirements of the criminal context, we found that certain prior acts are so intrinsically related to the alleged offenses that they may be considered as part of the transactions with the children and so interwoven with ... [a] pattern of conduct ... that they are part of the res gestae of the crimes charged. 398 S.E.2d at 131. [22] This approach is certainly equally applicable in the noncriminal context of a child neglect or abuse case. Other jurisdictions have also resolved this issue by permitting introduction of evidence regarding prior acts of abuse or neglect against children other than the one whose termination is presently being contemplated. [23] For instance, records of prior neglect cases against the parent were permitted as evidence pursuant to a statute providing for their admissibility in In re Maria Anthony, 81 Misc.2d 342, 366 N.Y.S.2d 333 (1975). In response to the parent's objection to the receipt of the prior records as evidence, the court explained that prior records of neglect or abuse will not, standing alone, determine the present condition of the parent. Id. 366 N.Y.S.2d at 335. However, pursuant to statute, proof of previous abuse or neglect is admissible on the issue of present abuse or neglect. Id. The principle underlying the Maria Anthony decision was expressed succinctly in § 1046(a)(1) of the New York Family Court Act. The same principle, however, is equally applicable even in the absence of such a clear statute. [24] In In re S.G., 153 Vt. 466, 571 A.2d 677 (1990), for instance, the Supreme Court of Vermont held that evidence of similar prior abuse of a sibling was admissible as relevant to the nature of the home environment directly impacting the well-being of the infant in question. 571 A.2d at 681. In S.G., the testimony of a former social worker indicating that the appellant had abused her other child four years earlier was admitted over objection in the lower court. Id. 571 A.2d at 681. The appellant argued that such evidence of a prior bad act was barred by Vermont Rule of Evidence 404(b), [25] or, in the alternative, that its prejudicial effect outweighed its probative value. The appellant's defense in S.G. had been based upon the premise that the injury to the child then under consideration, a fracture of the right tibia of a two-month old infant, was caused by an accident. The social worker's testimony was presented to counter that defense and to prove that the mother's other child had suffered an unexplained fracture to her right arm four years earlier. Id. In holding that Vt.R.Evid. 404(b) did not preclude such evidence, the court cited its previous holding in In re R.M., 150 Vt. 59, 549 A.2d 1050 (1988), and explained that evidence of previous abuse of other children was admissible in In re R.M. because it was `indicative of a broad pattern of abuse and neglect generally pervasive in this household and clearly relevant to R.M.,' Id. 571 A.2d at 680, (quoting R.M., 549 A.2d at 1056). The prior bad act evidence was also admitted in R.M. to provide insight into the home environment rather than to demonstrate that the mother acted in conformity with any particular character trait. Id. [T]he issue in juvenile proceedings is not whether the parent did a particular act or acted in conformity with a particular character trait but instead whether the child has proper care and his or her well-being is protected. Id. 571 A.2d at 681. Permitting evidence of prior bad acts in abuse and neglect proceedings, the court held, was unique to juvenile proceedings because of the breadth of the inquiry and focus on the child. Id. In the present case, the appellant's propensity toward violence and emotional instability, as revealed throughout the record and particularly with regard to her relationship with her other children, is relevant to a determination of her fitness and is probative of her present ability to provide a stable and permanent home for Carlita. We fail to perceive any error by the circuit court in allowing the introduction of evidence regarding the appellant's prior acts of physical and emotional abuse. Based upon the foregoing, we affirm the decision of the Circuit Court of Ohio County. With regard to future disposition of Carlita and her siblings, the record is unclear as to whether Carlita enjoys any continued association with her siblings, Justin, Christopher, and Daniel. In syllabus point 4 of In re James M., No. 19948 ___ W.Va.___, 408 S.E.2d 400 (1991), we explained the following: In cases where there is a termination of parental rights, the circuit court should consider whether continued association with siblings in other placements is in the child's best interests, and if such continued association is in such child's best interests, the court should enter an appropriate order to preserve the rights of siblings to continued contact. Consequently, we encourage the D.H.S. to work with any temporary or permanent foster families or adoption placements involved in the custody of these siblings to endeavor to facilitate the children's continued association with one another. Affirmed.