“Baby Brianna” July 19, 2002, Las Cruces, New Mexico was the date and place where the “Worst Case of Child Abuse in U.S. History” occurred. The murder of five-month-old Brianna Mariah Lopez best known as “Baby Brianna.” Born on February 14, 2002 to her mother, Stephanie Lopez and her father, Andy Walters. A couple of days after her birth she was taken into a home where Stephanie and Andy resided with Stephanie’s brother, Steven Lopez and her eighteen-month-old brother Andy Jr. This home became the horrific setting where her three family members abused her on a daily basis instead of providing the love and care she needed. According to court documents, on Thursday night, July 18 around 6 p.m. Andy Walters bought a case of beer and returned home where Stephanie Lopez and her brother Steven Lopez where waiting for him. The three individuals started consuming alcohol but Stephanie went off to bed early after drinking two-three beers. Andy and Steven stayed up drinking and decided to play a game where they tossed Brianna up in the air, letting her hit the ceiling and watching her hit the ground. Around 12:30 a.m. Friday morning Andy felt asleep not knowing where Brianna was, two and a half hours later he woke …show more content…
According to The Child Welfare Outcomes Reports made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2011 there were approximately 742,000 cases of confirmed child maltreatment. The national child victim rate was 9.9 child victims per 1,000 children in the population. This rate decreased from 10.3 child victims per 1,000 children in the population in 2008 to the most resent 9.9 rate in 2011. The state rate varies ranging from 1.2 child victims per 1,000 children to 24.0 child victims per 1,000 children. Even though the rate has decreased some of these instances are not reported until something major occurs like in Brianna’s