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Alaska Republican Argues Child Abuse Deaths Can Be a ‘Benefit to Society’

“Obviously it’s not good for the child.”

A Republican state lawmaker in Alaska stunned his colleagues this week by making the case for the potential economic benefits of fatal cases of child abuse. State Rep. David Eastman’s comments went viral after he spoke at a hearing concerning traumatic childhood experiences and how they affect the child over the course of their lives. “In the case where child abuse is fatal, obviously it’s not good for the child, but it’s actually a benefit to society because there aren’t needs for government services and whatnot over the whole course of that child’s life,” Eastman said. When asked if he just said child abuse deaths could “benefit” society, Eastman replied: “I’m talking dollars.” He said that instead of the child’s death being a net cost to society, “It gets argued periodically that it’s actually a cost savings because that child is not going to need any of those government services that they might otherwise be entitled to receive and need based on growing up in this type of environment.”