A petition to change the law following the verdict to clear Florida woman Casey Anthony on murder charges went viral on the Internet, according to reports on Thursday.
The proposed law, dubbed “Caylee’s Law,” would make it a federal crime for parents and caregivers to not report the death of a child to officials within one hour.
The petition, which was started by Oklahoma woman Michelle Crowder on July 5 garnered more than 450,000 signatures since it was put up on change.org.
“There should be a new federal law created called Caylee’s Law that will make it a federal offense for a parent or guardian to not notify law enforcement of a child going missing in a timely manner,” said a statement associated with the petition. “Let’s keep another case like Caylee Anthony out of the courts.”
Crowder was one of many people following the Anthony trial, which made international headlines when she was acquitted for the murder of her two-year-old child.
In her defense, Anthony’s lawyers said that her daughter drowned in her parent’s swimming pool but some critics have pointed out that neither Casey or her parents called the police after the child died.
Florida State Rep. Bill Hager of Boca Raton said on Wednesday that he is looking to draft a law that is similar to the petition.
“Placing a law on the books requiring parents and guardians to report missing children who are in significant danger in a timely manner will ensure that parents are held accountable for their actions,” he said in a statement obtained by USA Today.
“It will also assure that we put justice on the side of those among us who are most vulnerable. And finally, it will put an end to the kind of irresponsible and outrageous behavior we observed with Caylee’s mother.”
