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Archive for the ‘Abuse’ CategoryNews Story: Failed DCF Response to ‘Cry for Help’ Leaves Advocates, Attorneys Angered in Abuse CaseLess than a week after the 7-year-old adoptive sibling’s tale resulted in a call to a Florida Department of Children and Families abuse hotline — which itself resulted in a possible missed chance to save another child’s life — advocates are asking “Why?” “A cry for help that is so significant and so loud that we need answers as to why,” asked Howard Talenfeld, a prominent children’s rights attorney and president of statewide advocacy group Florida’s Children First. Advocates, Attorneys: Red Flags Missed by DCF Amid Alleged Abuse of Adopted Boy Doused in Chemicals, Sister Found DeadThe adopted son was sent to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s burn unit, the sister was dead, the adoptive father in custody and the adoptive mother facing the ire of a dependency judge — all while child welfare advocates questioned how warning signs and calls to the Department of Children and Families were missed or overlooked in the horrifying case of Jorge and Carmen Barahona and their adopted children.CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO OF DCF CHILD CUSTODYHEARING According to WSVN Miami, Jorge Barahona confessed to police he tried to kill himself and his 10-year-old son while the body of the boy’s twin sister lay in his pickup truck’s bed. Two days after the discovery of the chemical-filled truck on Monday, the cause of the girl’s of death remains a mystery. But as tales of abuse — being duct-taped or forced to stand in garbage bins — began to unfold, the opinions of advocates was crystal clear: Red flags and warning signs — and the system in place to act on them — failed to respond quickly and thoroughly enough. “Those are the kinds of allegations that need to be addressed within…hours,” said Howard Talenfeld, the president of Florida’s Children First. Talenfeld said the red flags should have caused DCF to act immediately when first heard on Thursday, not Friday or after the weekend. Read the WSVN story here. Read a story from The Miami Herald here. Florida Child Advocates Shocked as Adopted Twin Found Dead in Pickup Truck, Others Removed by Department of Children & FamiliesShock and horror gripped Florida child advocates Monday following the death of a 10-year-old adopted girl — who only a week before had been the subject of a call to the Department of Children and Families abuse hotline warning of possible abuse of the girl and her twin brother.According to the Miami Herald, DCF took into custody two other children who were adopted by Jorge L. Barahona, the twins’ adoptive father. Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman has asked that the children be placed back into foster care. As of late Tuesday, Barahona was charged with aggravated child abuse. More charges are expected, police spokesman Chase Scott said. Meanwhile, child welfare administrators released scant details. “We are in the preliminary stages of a very tragic and extremely complex investigation,” said Mark Riordan, a DCF spokesman. “We are working side-by-side with law enforcement in two jurisdictions, and protective investigators in two jurisdictions….our primary concern is the safety of these children.” DCF Forces Florida Man in Molestation Case to Close Day Care; Couple Ran Unlicensed CenterThe Florida Department of Children and Families has ordered a man accused of inappropriately touching a 3-year-old girl and watching pornographic movies with her to shut down his unlicensed day care.According to WKMG TV in Orlando, Royce Broady was arrested Feb. 3 after the girl’s mother and grandmother called Orange County deputies. Deputies said the 3-year-old girl told them her baby sitter’s husband, Broady, touched her before she got into a shower. DCF said Broady and his wife were operating a day care in their Apopka home on Rundleway Court without a valid license or registration. In a letter sent Tuesday, DCF ordered the couple to “cease and desist all childcare operations immediately.” DCF said the couple was caring for at least 13 children at their home. Broward Sheriff Settles Negligence Lawsuit During Trial; Recovery Almost $3 million in Law Suit Against BSO, Florida Department of Children & Family Services (DCF), Department of Health, Other Health Care ProvidersA $1.575 million settlement brought an abrupt end to a Fort Lauderdale trial that questioned the Broward Sheriff’s Office for its management of abuse allegations involving an infant who suffered injuries and brain damage, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.“Sheriff Lamberti did the right thing by resolving the 5-year-old child’s claim as a result of a lawsuit for a negligent protective investigation, which occurred during a prior administration,” said Howard Talenfeld, one of the plaintiff attorney’s trying the case. The newspaper went on to report that the insurance company for the Sheriff’s Office reached the deal Wednesday with attorneys for Jace Manning, now 5, who was left developmentally disabled after his skull was fractured in February 2006. Two months before the boy’s severe injuries, Jace was hospitalized with an unexplained bruise under his chin, and his grandmother implored authorities to remove him from the Coral Springs apartment where he lived with his mother and her boyfriend. Read the entire story here. DCF Review: Injuries, Hints Led to Concerns Before Death of Boy, 2Despite medical experts’ suspicions that 2-year-old Deondray Ashe had growing issues in his home, doctors couldn’t be certain that injuries revealed before his death in June were the result of abuse.
While state child welfare officials had expressed some concerns about Deondray’s physical condition, newly released details show they had no proof, either, the Ledger noted. DCF: South Florida Child Abuse Reports UpChild-abuse cases have increased in South Florida, according to reports from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). This has department officials, child and foster care advocates, and guardians calling for greater awareness.The news follows a year when DCF investigated some challenging, difficult, and by some reports, gruesome cases, according to a recent article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In Broward County, cases rose to 15,748 in 2010, compared with 14,876 the year before, according to the Sun-Sentinel’s report of the DCF numbers. In Palm Beach County, cases rose to 12,183 — up from 11,947 the previous year, the paper reported. “You’ll see a lot of domestic violence,” DCF spokesman Mark Riordan said in the paper. “That’s where the cycle is perpetuated. It’s a learned response.” Human Trafficking Can Affect Anyone — The Vulnerable, Young, Immigrants, and Society At LargeHuman trafficking — whether of immigrants or U.S. citizens caught in a rough stage of life — affects everyone. For child advocates, care givers and attorneys who deal with society’s most vulnerable citizens, the results are devastating, and demand greater protections. According to a story in the Fort Myers (Florida) News-Press, human trafficking historically has been perceived as crimes affecting mostly foreigners. Today, its victim profile has expanded. It includes “a larger extent American adults and children exploited for gain.”In Lee County (Florida) alone, the paper writes, “the number of people tagged as victims and investigations…has been growing in the past year. Of 11 arrests linked to trafficking in Lee in roughly that time, the lead investigator said at least seven involved domestic victims.” The paper continued, “…Trafficking, often called modern-day slavery, doesn’t have to involve transportation of a victim. One case involved a 15-year-old girl who told investigators her mother forced her to prostitute in exchange for food. At one point, she banged on a window seeking her mother’s help when she was left in a room with men, according to sheriff’s reports. The girl cut and burned herself to deal with the pain.” Read the entire story here. Federal Lawsuit: Youth Offender Sexually Abused in Florida FacilityThe Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) has 60 days to investigate a youthful offender facility after a federal class-action lawsuit was filed by attorneys with the Southern Poverty Law Center this week alleging that a 15-year-old boy at the Thompson Academy was sexually abused. Foster and child advocates and lawyers are expected to closely watch the case and the damages it claims. The suit claims an employee assaulted the boy, while also alleging juvenile residents endured hunger, moldy and hot conditions. According to the Associated Press, the lawsuit, filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, claims the sexually abused 15-year-old boy reported the abuse to the facility’s administrator. Nothing was done, the suit alleges. “The attorneys who filed the lawsuit said the teen tried to kill himself three times by drinking bleach and attempting to hang himself. The boy – who is not being identified because The Associated Press does not name people who may be victims of sexual assault – was released to his mother’s care on Friday,” the story notes. It goes on to say, “Jesse Williams, senior vice president at Youth Services International, said the lawsuit’s claims were unsubstantiated. The Florida Department of Children and Families has up to 60 days to complete an investigation of the facility’s procedures, spokesman Mark Riordan said.” New York Child Welfare Agency Misses Signs, Visits Before Girl, 4, DiesThis article serves as another example of how New York welfare agency workers failed numerous times and over many months to make critical visits to ensure a child was well cared for and not being abused. Now Marchella Pierce, 4, and who weighed 18 pounds, is dead. The New York Times is reporting that the Brooklyn girl appears to have gone months without a visit from child welfare workers assigned to monitor her well-being, despite indications that she could be at risk. The revelation, from New York’s Administration for Children’s Services, came with a graphic glimpse into her final months. Agency officials called her home care “grossly inadequate,” said she was beaten regularly, and was tied to her bed “for substantial periods of time.” The mother, Carlotta Brett-Pierce, faces charges that include second-degree assault. “Clearly, Marchella Pierce was a vulnerable child, and as a city we needed to do more to help her,” John B. Mattingly, the commissioner of children’s services, told council members during more than two hours of questions and testimony. Read the entire story here. Domestic Violence Awareness Month: How To Handle ThreatsDomestic violence is all around us. From fearsome threats of violence or bodily harm, to terrible tragedies — like the spousal and child murders in Riviera Beach, Florida, earlier this week — advocates and attorneys who work in family law, foster care and other areas hope to raise awareness of these issues. In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Florida Child Advocate offers this guest post from Barry Finkel, an experienced Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer. Attorneys who have worked in family law, divorce or domestic abuse issues know that “domestic violence” isn’t necessarily limited to actual battery – or hitting, kicking, striking or even sexually assaulting a spouse or partner. It can include the threat of violence. Experience has shown that threats often lead to more threats — and actual violence. If your spouse, partner or boyfriend has committed a first act or threatened an act, act quickly to protect yourself and your children. Start by… (more…) DCF Admits Steps Missed to Protect Riviera Beach Family, Prevent TragedyThe Florida Department of Children and Families continues to perform well at keeping at-risk children out of the foster care and other state systems. But administrators must see that appropriate protective services are used to ensure tragedies like what happened in Riviera Beach don’t happen again. According to the Palm Beach Post, Perry Borman, DCF Southeast Regional Director, acknowledged that the agency could have done more to protect Natasha Whyte-Dell and her four children. The five were slain by husband and step-father Patrick Alexander Dell. In a related story, it was reported this week that the DCF had found that Dell was not a threat to his family. This came after a police report cited that Dell had threatened his wife with a knife in December and yelled “you will be going to the morgue.” A child protective investigator later determined that the case was a low risk, because Dell “stated that he would never harm the children.” DCF had acknowledged that Dell had been angry and violent, and was investigated in January after he allegedly attacked his wife. According to Borman, at least a half dozen steps could have been taken by the agency to help ensure the family’s safety. ‘Instead, the agency’s investigation was closed after 30 days and concluded the children were not at ‘significant risk,'” the paper reported Borman saying. Read the entire story here. |
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