2023 Annual Report of Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities in Indiana
The Annual Report of Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities in Indiana is the state’s official record of child deaths determined by the Indiana Department of Child Services to have been caused by caregiver maltreatment or neglect. The following contains data from Calendar Year 2023.
Stats from the Executive Summary
261 Child Fatalities
In Calendar Year 2023, the Indiana Department of Child Services was called to investigate 261 child fatalities in which abuse or neglect was suspected to be a factor or which involved a child under age 3 whose death was sudden, unexpected or unexplained. This is down from 308 in Calendar Year 2022. Fifty-six (21%*) of those deaths were determined to be a direct result of caregiver maltreatment. By comparison, 61 deaths were caused by maltreatment in 2022.
Of the total fatalities covered by this report, 20 were due to abuse, and 36 were due to neglect.
68% Victims 3 Years Old or Younger
In 38 (68%) of the fatalities, the victim was 3 years old or younger. This finding demonstrates a consistent trend (nationally and in Indiana) that young children are at the highest risk of abuse or neglect.
50% Death by Weapon
The manner of death is taken from state death certificates. Death by weapon (including a body part, e.g., a closed fist) was the most common cause of death, listed as the primary factor in 28 (50%) of the cases.
44% Occured in Victim's Own Home
In 44 cases (79%), the death occurred at the victim’s own home.
86% Perpetrators Were Biological Parents
The victim’s biological parents were often deemed responsible for the child fatalities detailed in this report, accounting for 65 (86%) of the 76 alleged perpetrators. Note that some cases cite multiple perpetrators as responsible for the death of the same child.