Tagged: child abuse

Leading the Show:

A fire burning out of control turned a fertilizer plant into a bomb in the heart of the small town of West, Texas last night.

April is Child Abuse Awareness month, and San Antonio Sen. Carlos Uresti is calling for more volunteers to help increase the local message of saving children's lives.

Uresti said Bexar County showed an increase in the number of cases of child abuse in 2012.

"Sadly, last year we had 6,205 confirmed cases of child abuse just in Bexar County," Uresti said, adding that 20 of those children died from their injuries.

Bexar County's only child advocacy center, ChildSafe, has announced a realignment to serve more children, but there are some challenges in the move.

For 23 years, ChildSafe has served child victims of sexual abuse, but the now it's expanding to provide services for children of physical abuse and neglect. The organization is one of the last advocacy centers in Texas to expand to this role.

President Kim Abernethy said she thinks that is because the center started with a major focus on sexual abuse.

The Children’s Shelter and VOICES for Children of San Antonio are asking residents to participate in an event Tuesday evening to raise awareness of the problem of child abuse.

The two groups are hosting a "Remember 19" candlelight vigil Tuesday evening to make sure the 19 children who died violent deaths last year are not forgotten.