Reports of Child Abuse Spike Dramatically in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Minnesota officials say nearly 40,000 children were suspected of being abused or neglected in the state last year, a 25 percent increase from 2015.
Reports say the data posted by the Minnesota Department of Human Services also noted a spike in maltreatment investigations.
The report didn't detail what was behind the increase, but says it was likely due to in part to increased awareness and ``a growing opioid crisis.''
Gov. Mark Dayton focused on child abuse after the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported in 2014 that social service workers didn't follow up on abuse complaints about 4-year-old Eric Dean, who was later killed by his stepmother.
Dayton's moves have included ordering state human services officials to conduct monthly random screenings of child protection workers' decisions.