S.C. law requires Child Abuse Protocol with no penalty for ignoring it

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - With the Lowcountry seeing numerous cases of parents or caregivers being charged with child abuse or neglect over the last several months, the laws that best protect these children and how agencies respond to the calls are getting a closer look.When agencies work together to best respond to a case about potential child abuse, neglect, or exploitation, they are required by state law to follow the Child Abuse Response Protocol.But that same state law also says an agency won’t face any consequences if it doesn’t do it.“It indicates that law enforcement is going to have its own internal policy,” defense attorney Stephan Futeral said while looking over the law.He also acknowledges it is possible that an agency might not even have its own policy.When comparing the policies and reaching out to a sample of Lowcountry law enforcement agencies, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department and the North Charleston Police Department all do