By Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sometimes charging a suspect who seriously injures somebody with assault is not enough, a local lawmaker says.

And that's why State Rep. James Raussen's is proposing a bill that would add five years to a prison sentence of someone convicted of an assault if it's proved the crimeled to a permanent physical or psychological injury to the victim.

Raussen will announce the proposal at a Sunday morning press conference in Cincinnati with Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen.

"The legislation fills a gap in sentencing, allowing prosecutors and judges to sentence offenders more severely when the crime they commit results in the permanent injury of another person," said Raussen, R-Springdale.

Child abuse cases prompted this legislation, Raussen said.

Too often, prosecutors across the state told Raussen, they saw children beaten or shaken so severely they suffered permanent injuries. Yet, the punishment was between two and eight years in prison - the same amount as if the victim has been injured and recovered.

Rape laws in the state already recognize differences in a crime's severity, Raussen said.

For example, if a child under the age of 10 is raped, the suspect faces life in prison. A rape against an adult victim can mean up to 10 years in prison.

"This is something we've needed for a long time," Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen said. "I wholeheartedly endorse this initiative."

Allen said he hopes a specification like this would make perpetrators think twice.

"It's a specification that adds time to prison sentences, just like a gun specification," Allen said.

Already in Ohio, anyone convicted of using a gun while committing a crime can face an additional three years in prison.

Cincinnati Police Capt. Vince Demasi said he supports tougher sentences for crimes that permanently harm a person, especially if it's a child.

E-mail scoolidge@enquirer.com