In the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is a Code 20-143.1 that gives "Primacy of The Parent", prime consideration in a court of law. Due to the manner in which it is written, it gives the parent the right to abuse a child and get by with it. This code needs to be changed so that all testimony concerning child abuse MUST be heard in a court of law. The judge shall not be allowed to dismiss any relative's testimony or refuse to allow testimony that 'was or could have been admitted' at a previous trial. By refusing to hear testimony is giving the abuser the freedom to continue the abuse. When a child reports abuse to a teacher or counselor, a full investigation should be performed and the parents saying it did not happen should not be "the law". Our main goal is 'best interest of the child'. How can there be a best interest of the child if an eye witness is not allowed to testify or if the confidant of the child is not allowed to testify? The 14th Amendment shall apply to all children for all of their lives, they should not have to wait until they are 18 years of age as declared by Judge Stacey Moreau in Pittsylvania County J & D Court. Child abuse is a crime whether it comes from a parent or a stranger and the child should be the one that is protected not the abuser. We punish a kidnapper, a rapist and so on when they are strangers but a parent or step parent can commit these crimes and the judge smiles at them and states, "due to primacy of the parent" the child will remain in this situation. Explain that to a child that the grandparents have taught to respect the law and now the law is condemning her or him to beatings, emotional abuse and sexual abuse. OH - BUT CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES STATED THAT A STEPFATHER SHOWING HIS NAKED BODY AND ASKING A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL TO CRAWL BETWEEN HIS LEGS AND TOUCH HIM - is not abuse. S. Flannigan, Executive Director Pittsylvania County Social Services. Some judges will insist on all testimony being admitted, others have their own agenda. We need for the children to be protected and it is not happening due to the maladies in this code. It needs to be corrected and any judge not representing the best interest of the child should have consequences against them in their right to remain on the bench as a judge. One suggestion is to have available a facilitator to work with these children and parents before going to court. This could alleviate some of the problems and help a lot of children. Organizations like CASA should be more prevalent in investigating the abuse cases. They are volunteers and can obtain much more information that CPS in a lot of cases. Give me your signature to improve our system and fight child abuse. Let's make all of our communities a better place for our children-our future. We are one state, it should not be this judge does it one way but 30 miles away the judge does it another. Why does one listen and the other does not? Why are our politicians so afraid to tackle the problem of child abuse. Even our Governor has turned his back on this problem. Let's send him the message that we want a change in this code.