HELENA – An annual report from the Montana Department of Justice found the Children’s Justice Bureau investigated the deaths of 12 children over the past 12½ months.
According to the report, of those 12 deaths, seven were children age one or younger.
One death resulted in a charge of deliberate homicide, one in a charge of negligent homicide, and two of the 12 deaths were ruled suicides. The remainder were deemed accidental, related to medical issues, or have not been determined.
Ten of the 12 cases had some record of Child and Family Services Division involvement with the family. Five of the cases resulted in the removal of siblings.
The report is the third since being mandated by the state Legislature.
Click here to read the full report.
