Dr. Rita Swan speaks on the topic “Religion, Culture, and Criminal Law” at the first Child-Friendly Faith Project Conference on November 8, 2013. What religious defenses exist in state criminal codes relating to child abuse and why do they get enacted? What are the special challenges prosecutors may encounter in such cases? In covering how these laws can be changed for the better, Dr. Swan will discuss how religious exemption laws were repealed in the state of Oregon. Dr. Swan is the co-founder of Children’s Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, a national membership organization that advocates for children’s rights to medical care and other protections. Through Dr. Swan’s efforts, CHILD has helped states repeal religious exemptions from child neglect laws and prevented such exemptions from being enacted in many states.