Assemblyman seeks tougher penalties for crimes against children

By WNYT

A local Assemblyman is seeking to upgrade penalties for crimes involving child victims.

Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D – Rotterdam, wants to upgrade manslaughter charges from a Class C felony to a Class A1 felony. This would align the crimes with murder offenses and carry the harshest penalties.

Santabarbara said the proposal stemmed from the case of the 5-year-old Schenectady girl, Charlotte, who died from starvation. Her father, Robert Buskey, is charged with second-degree manslaughter.