WHEELING — The Ohio County Prosecutor’s Office wants to hire an additional full-time attorney to focus solely on a growing number of child abuse and neglect cases in the county.
Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Turak told county commissioners of the need during their meeting Tuesday night, and she explained that is why the office has submitted a budget request that is about $80,000 higher for fiscal year 2022-23.
The prosecutor’s submitted budget request is $1,545,415, according to information provided by County Administrator Randy Russell.
Abuse and neglect cases are filed with the court everytime a child is removed from their parents, and the county prosecutor’s office represents the State Department of Health and Human Resources in these cases, Turak explained.
“With all due candor, we should have asked for this three years ago,” she told commissioners.
West Virginia leads the country in the number of children removed from the home at a rate that is five times the national rate, according to Turak.
In 2011 through 2018, the number of cases where children were removed from homes increased by 67% in the state.
“This caseload represents more than half the docket in every county in this state,” Turak said.
Closer to home, there were 67 children removed in Ohio County in 2011, she reported. By 2015, the yearly number had nearly doubled and was at 129.
Last year, 172 children were taken from Ohio County homes. In 2023, the number of new child abuse and neglect cases is projected to exceed 190.
It also takes a long period of time for the cases to proceed through the court system, Turak continued. At the minimum, each must have three hearings, and most cases extend more than a year to as long as 17 months.
Ohio County has one child abuse/neglect case that has been on the books for nine years, and involves three separate children, she said.
“And these are children who have no other defenses other than the Department of Health and Human Services,” Turak explained.
Largely, the cases “get no fanfare” because they involve children and are confidential, she added.
“These children have been removed for physical violence, sexual abuse, and abuse by parents due to drug and alcohol issues,” Turak said. “They deserve to be treated with the utmost urgency.
“We have reached the point now where the abuse and neglect office is crippled, and we need to hire a full-time attorney to assist.”
Commissioners did not comment on whether they would grant the budget request, but Commissioner Zach Abraham acknowledged there was an issue.
“It is a sad state of affairs, for sure,” he told Turak.
