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CHARLOTTE, NC —Β Β Kilah Davenport’s family wanted to see tougher punishments for child abuse, and that mission went all the way to Washington.
Kilah’s name lives on in the Child Protection Act that was signed into law. That milestone, and the little girl who inspired it, were honored Thursday night.
“We’re excited, but we’re humbled,” says Kilah’s grandmother Leslie Davenport. “So we’re just going to work as hard as we possibly can to help prevent this from happening to other families.”
Kilah’s memory, and her family’s efforts to help others, were honored.
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The Davenports were not in Washington when President Obama signed the Kilah Davenport Child Protection Act into law in May, so Congressman Robert Pittenger brought Washington to them.
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“This law is going to make a real big difference,” said the North Carolina Republican. “It wouldn’t have happened without the Davenport family and their commitment.”
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Kilah’s mother and grandmother were presented with a framed copy of the legislation signed by the President, Speaker of the House and Senate President; and the flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol in Kilah’s honor.
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“Her legacy has outlived her,” says Kirbi Davenport, Kilah’s mother. “And that’s an amazing, amazing feeling. It’s sad in the same sense, because we no longer have Kilah, but it’s also an amazing feeling because she always said she was going to be famous.”
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The Washington mementos serve as a testimony to the family’s struggle to find justice and some resolution. Kilah died in March, two years after her stepfather brutally beat her, causing severe brain injuries.
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“The happy little girl, because she is happy again. She’s whole. She’s not injured any longer. She’s happy. And that’s what we hold on to. That’s the way we remember her,” said Leslie Davenport.
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The national version of Kilah’s Law requires states to report back to the U.S. Attorney General on exactly what their punishments are for child abuse.
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The North Carolina version, adopted last year, increases the penalties for people convicted of child abuse.
