State lawmakers outraged by the sexual assault of a girl at a Phoenix elementary school last week are vowing to fight back with legislation.
Republican state Sen. Janae Shamp is going after what she calls a failed system for handing out probation to child sex offenders.
"This was not an accident. This was not unpredictable. This was the result of a justice system that has forgotten its first duty: public safety before offender sympathy," Shamp said.
25-year-old Abel Gblah is a convicted sex offender and repeat probation violator. Police say he entered Orangewood Elementary through an unsecured door and assaulted a 10-year-old girl under the guise of being a doctor.
Kayleigh Kozak is a survivor of child sexual abuse and joined lawmakers in calling for reform.
"I stand here today completely shattered by the systematic failures that allowed an innocent little girl to be violated. This is not just about this one man’s heinous acts. It is about the system that failed over and over and over again," Kozak said.
Kozak said this latest case has exposed gaping holes in the legal process.
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Starting Monday, those who call 911 emergency in Phoenix will be asked if they need mental health services. -
The Phoenix Fire Department continues its usage of drone devices for its operations. Since the formal inception of the technology in 2022, the department has used the drones for fires, mountain rescues and more. -
An administrator at Saguaro High School resigned this week after facing accusations that he inappropriately messaged a student at a Scottsdale middle school on social media. -
Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty. -
Between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., community members will see an increase in emergency personnel including police units, fire trucks and ambulances on ASU’s Tempe campus.
