Official statistics suggest that approximately 2,000 infants and children die of maltreatment in the United States every year. The true number is almost certainly higher.
Some children experience chronic beatings or sexual abuse leading to their deaths. Many more die in complex situations while in the care of adults with severe mental illness, family violence, and untreated addiction.
Lives Cut Short is a project devoted to documenting these deaths, as well as understanding the circumstances and policy choices that contributed to them.