Opinion ID: 1874281
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Child Endangerment

Text: Mother argues that there was insufficient evidence from which the trial court could have found her guilty of first-degree child endangerment. She asserts that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that placing Child in contact with Father would result in an actual risk to his life, body, or health, or that she knowingly created that risk. A person commits the crime of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree if ... [t]he person knowingly acts in a manner that creates a substantial risk to the life, body, or health of a child less than seventeen years old. Sec. 568.045. A person acts knowingly, or with knowledge, (1) With respect to his conduct or to attendant circumstances when he is aware of the nature of his conduct or that those circumstances exist; or (2) With respect to a result of his conduct when he is aware that his conduct is practically certain to cause that result. Sec. 562.016.3. Here, the charge for first-degree child endangerment filed by the State stated as follows: [O]n or about ... October 26, 2001, in the County of Buchanan, State of Missouri, [Mother] knowingly acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the life and body and health of [Child], a child less than seventeen years of age, by placing [Child] in direct contact with [Father] who [Mother] has previously seen physically abuse [Child] and by so doing [Mother] allowed [Child] to be assaulted by [Father]. Under section 568.045, there must be an actual, as opposed to a potential risk, to the life, body, or health of the child. State v. Hunter, 939 S.W.2d 542, 545 (Mo.App.1997); State v. Wilson, 920 S.W.2d 177, 180-81 (Mo.App.1996). This is a fact specific determination and requires an analysis of the facts in each case. See, e.g., State v. Riggs, 2 S.W.3d 867 (Mo.App. 1999); Hunter, 939 S.W.2d 542; Wilson, 920 S.W.2d 177. This Court finds that the State produced sufficient evidence from which a reasonable trier of fact could conclude that Mother's act of placing Child in contact with Father on October 26 resulted in a substantial risk of harm to Child. Approximately a year before Child's death, Father began physically abusing Child. At first, he would slap Child hard on his butt, but later it escalated to his punching and kicking Child. Mother tried to stop this abuse a few times, but Father would beat her when she did. The Division of Family Services (DFS) had been called three times regarding the abuse; however, there were never any charges brought against Father because the injuries of Child healed before two of the DFS visits. Further, there was a risk to Child's life, body, or health after Father severely abused Child while at Grandmother's house. Mother witnessed the entire incident and did not stop it or take steps to remove Child from Father. Mother's actions in allowing Father to stay with them after this severe beating put Child in a situation where there was an actual risk of harm to him. That night, Father continued the abuse by slapping and kicking Child when he would not wake. Mother also argues that the State failed to provide sufficient evidence that she knowingly created a substantial risk to the life, body, or health of Child by placing him in direct contact with Father. There is no bright line test to determine whether or not a person's actions knowingly create a substantial risk to the health of a child. Hunter, 939 S.W.2d at 545. In making this determination, this Court looks to the totality of the circumstances. Id. The State may prove a defendant's knowledge by direct evidence and reasonable inferences drawn from the circumstances surrounding the incident. Riggs, 2 S.W.3d at 873. This Court holds that there was sufficient evidence that Mother acted knowingly. Mother acted knowingly if she was aware of the nature of [her] conduct or that [the attendant] circumstances exist[ed] that created a substantial risk to the life, body, or health of Child. See Sec. 562.016.3(2); Sec. 568.045. In her statement to the police, she admitted that Father's abuse of Child had escalated to the point where he hit and kicked Child, and that when Father did this, Mother was unable to stop him on several occasions because he would then hit her. In addition, the medical examiner testified not only about Child's injuries from that day, but also about Child's older, healing injuries that were inconsistent with ordinary childhood injuries. Because Mother was Child's primary care giver, it can be reasonably inferred that Mother knew that Child had pain in his stomach and chest when these older injuries occurred. Even Grandmother saw bruises on Child's mouth, cheek, forehead, and lower back that concerned her. Mother told Grandmother that these injuries were attributable to normal childhood injuries. Further, Father's abuse of Child was so severe that there were three investigations by DFS. There was sufficient evidence to find Mother guilty of first-degree child endangerment.