Child Abuse Victims to be Remembered

By Bill O'Neil & Johnny Shannon

Nineteen children who lost their lives as victims of abuse last year in San Antonio will be remembered with a candlelight vigil set for Tuesday Evening.
Organizers said the message for state lawmakers is very clear.
 

"We want to make sure that our legislators  know and our community knows that we need to continue to support our prevention efforts" Children's Shelter President and CEO Annette Rodriguez said. She told 550 KTSA News such efforts are critical--with more than 25-hundred children removed from homes deemed to be abusive last year.
 

"I think people are being a little more vigilant in looking at the children in the classroom--or seeing the children that are coming in to Church or Bible School" she said, noting that the abuse numbers have remained fairly constant in Bexar County.

"It could be the issues of the economy and poor job growth--and all of the challenges that families have when they're struggling to try to make ends meet" Rodriguez said in offering a possible explanation.
The vigil gets underway at 6:30 pm--at the Children's Shelter on West Woodlawn.