Cody’s Law makes a difference for children
In 2007, little Cody Hutchings died as a result of major injuries caused by weeks of repeated bashings and abuse. By the time that his stepfather had finished with him, Cody was covered in 160 bruises, his liver was torn and he had two skull fractures. In the Supreme Court in Melbourne in August 2007, Stuart McMaster was sentenced to a maximum of 13 years imprisonment with a minimum of 10 years, after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Cody. It is hardly enough. Ten years in jail for the life of a defenceless and innocent child. It is hard to think of a worse crime. Really, can you imagine any worse form of torture than the repeated and systematic bashing of a young child? Cody would have been in tremendous pain. He would have been in a constant state of terror. Cody was killed by an adult who should have cared for him and protected him. If the maximum sentence was not given in the case of Cody Hutchings, then to what kind of crime would it apply? Soon after the outcome of the trial, the Victorian Government introduced a new class of offence that deals specifically with child homicide. According to the Australian Childhood Foundation, the new law should assume that adults who deliberately and repeatedly abuse children know that their violence could result in a child’s death. It should assume that adults who kill children have made a choice to act in the way that they did. It should assume that the community holds precious the life of all children. It should assume that the rights of children should be promoted even in their death. (Australian Childhood Foundation Newsletter December 2007).
