Dickerson: every adult must report severe child abuse

Everyone has a moral responsibility to report cases of sexual molestation or other severe abuse of children to authorities. Washington State Representative Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Seattle) wants to make it a legal responsibility as well.

Dickerson is proposing legislation that would require every adult in Washington to contact a law enforcement agency when they have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is being severely abused or neglected.

“Children are suffering behind curtains of silence as we try to combat serial sexual predators and other child abusers one profession at a time in our...