The dispute over shaken baby syndrome is a bitter civil war. On one side, doctors, lawyers and other experts say the diagnosis is key to winning convictions of people accused of the most horrible acts of child abuse. Opponents say the diagnosis is used too freely and that sometimes, innocent people go to prison. Norman Guthkelch, the pediatric neurosurgeon who is credited with first observing the condition in young children, is speaking out for the first time about his concerns regarding how that diagnosis is used. He worries that it is too often applied by medical examiners and doctors without considering other possible causes for a child’s death or injury.

We’ve detailed the viral sensation that is Adam Mansbach’s Go the F**k to Sleep, including its pirate-ship ride into the national consciousness and its eventual explosion as an actual printed book (with attendant movie deal). And everyone who has a kid, or has had a kid, can see the humor behind the good-natured f-bombs and recognizes the frustration inherent in getting a child to, well, follow the title’s advice.

A Roswell grandmother, Lorraine Grant, turned herself into Roswell Police yesterday, Monday, June 27, after charges of child abuse, including sexual battery, were leveled at her. The alleged abuse goes back to April when Grant visited California and agreed to bring her three-year-old granddaughter back to Roswell with her for several weeks. However, the child’s mother, Mariah Williams, told police that Grant refused to return the girl to her. In attempt to take back her child, Williams flew out to Atlanta last Friday, June 24.

GARY, Indiana — By the time 13-year-old Christian Choate was allegedly beaten to death and buried in a shallow grave in a Gary, Ind., trailer park in 2009, his family had been getting semiregular visits from child welfare authorities for more than 10 years. The Indiana Department of Child Services’ inch-thick case file on the Choate family details more than a dozen investigations of allegations of abuse or neglect dating to 1999. In 2009, Indiana prosecutors say, Christian died after years of abuse, finally succumbing to head injuries caused by blows from his father and older sister.

A Hidalgo County baby at the center of child abuse case has died just two days after being removed from life support. Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputies reported that Baby Destiny Barrientos died on Sunday. The baby girl had spent more than seven months on life support. The girl was only 10 months old at the time of a fatal beating. Baby Destiny was removed from life support late Friday morning and had been breathing on her own but passed away Sunday.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Police were led to a home in Syracuse after a 9-year-old girl was reported missing early Monday morning, a home of a registered sex offender. Syracuse Police Sergeant Gary Bulinski said, “The mother, who is obviously a very loving mother and good mother. She happened to check on her daughter, roughly around 2 in the morning. She poked her head in the bedroom and realized that both the window and the screen were open, and her daughter was missing.”

Many children’s services are required to deliver evidence-based interventions, but for those working within the child protection system this is a difficult task. Whilst many interventions have proved successful at improving outcomes for families living in a number of different contexts, very little is known about the effectiveness of these programs when delivered to those involved with the child protection system, particularly when there is evidence or suspicion of child maltreatment.

CONCORD TOWNSHIP, OH -On Friday, June 24th the Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a report of Child Endangering / Child Abuse. The Concord Resident reported that he hired a female he identified as Aneshree Govender as a live in Nanny. He reported that Govender had lived in his residence for approximately one year. The resident reported that he had previously installed video cameras throughout his residence. He stated that he was at his residence on Tuesday, June 14th when he observed Govender abusing his 3-year-old son on the video cameras.

A Gibson County man is in jail and facing charges after police say he kidnapped a young child and then dropped him from a two-story window at the Trenton Tower Apartment complex.Sean Vaughn, 21, is charged with aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, especially aggravated kidnapping and reckless endangerment, according to Gibson County court documents. He will be back in court at 1:30 p.m. today.

In late 1993, the Criminal Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office undertook a 3-1/2 year research project, partially funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, to study the investigation of child abduction murder cases. In this first research project, published in 1997, researchers reviewed more than 600 child abduction murder cases across the United States, then interviewed the investigating detectives. This data provided law enforcement valuable insight into what investigative techniques tend to be most productive.

CEBU CITY — Four girls accused a 64-year-old relative of rape and child abuse, in a case now being investigated by the Carcar City police, with the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) coming in to help the children. The allegations are still being verified, nearly a month after the abuse supposedly happened. Carcar Police Station Chief Inspector Teodulfo Manatad II said the minors are 2, 7, 8 and 11, and that the case is about to be filed against their relative. Initial reports said the relative was a grandfather, but that has yet to be confirmed.

PHOENIX -“You are grown. That little innocent child can’t do nothing. You, yourself maybe can do something. But at the time, you think it’s a little kid. For what?” said a neighbor. Crime tape went up at a Central Phoenix apartment complex near 16th Avenue and Missouri as police started investigating the beating death of a little girl early Saturday morning. But the story starts at the pay phone down the street. That is where police say 18 year old Martwain Mackey took the three year old little girl at 2 am.

LOS ANGELES — Police are asking for help from the public as they search for a 9-year-old boy who went missing Saturday night after having an argument with his stepmother. Kevin Rodriguez was last seen about 6pm Saturday night at his family’s home located at 1510 E. 22nd Street. The boy and his stepmother squabbled, but she felt they had resolved the issue, said a family member. She later found her front door open and Kevin was gone.

LITTLE ROCK — An 81-year-old registered sex offender is in custody after he allegedly tried to lure a 12-year-old girl into his car Saturday morning. Keith Holmes is being held on $1 million bail on charges of attempted kidnapping of a child under 14 years old after the 81-year-old man pulled alongside the girl in his vehicle as she walked alone near the intersection of Pearblossom Highway and 85th Street just before 11am and asked her if she wanted a ride. When she declined, Holmes allegedly drove slowly alongside her.