AstroKitty
Former Member
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- Aug 12, 2012
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since many of us are having some problems with our emotions tonight, because this case is very triggering - I went ahead and read through maybe the most well written and extensive article that is out there. I am quoting aspects of it that I feel are of most importance when it comes to putting together timelines, sleuthing or getting a general idea of what in the hell happened here.
I do suggest reading this if you can, but if you cannot - just read the quotes myself and others are providing because it's the jest but it's plentiful. I bet there are people reading this website due to this case for the very first time, maybe thinking "My gosh! They don't even know this child and look at how upset they are." - but there's something very tangible about Relisha and that changes this from a "case" or news story to something much bigger. Relisha was born into a statistic and I do not want to see her end up one and that be "all she wrote". Relisha is more than a number, she's become our little girl.
Anyway, here's some quotes from the article that's been linked a few times already but I will link it at the bottom again:
"Relisha Rudd’s absences piled up at Daniel A. Payne Elementary School, topping 30 days this year before someone notified the D.C. Child and Family Service Agency on March 13."
"At the same time, officials at Relisha’s school struggled to figure out why she had missed nearly six weeks of class and were confused by excuses provided by her relatives, who said Relisha was safely in the care of a “Dr. Tatum.” Even after police got involved, Relisha’s 27-year-old mother, Shamika Young, assured reporters that Relisha was in a “safe place."
"For the past 18 months, Relisha Rudd lived with her mother and three younger brothers, ages 4, 5 and 7, in the sprawling 278-family shelter on Massachusetts Avenue in Southeast Washington. "
"Relisha played with a 9-year old girl they thought was Tatum’s granddaughter, and he took her shopping and swimming, often returning with a new toy. “He always brought her back when he was supposed to,” said Relisha’s aunt, Ashley Young."
"The statement also says that shelter officials did not know of Tatum spending time with Relisha, and that he worked in a separate building from where they lived. "
"Police tried to call Tatum at 9:39 p.m., but the call went “directly to voice mail,” according to a police affidavit filed Wednesday, and the phone was never turned back on.
"
Now here's Relisha's background via this story:
"In July 2007, workers with the Child and Family Service Agency reported finding inadequate food and supervision for Relisha and her newborn brother and that Relisha had an injury that could have been caused by abuse"
"In April 2010, the agency sustained a complaint that one of Young’s boys was neglected when doctor’s appointments were missed after a surgery, and that children were “living in environmentally unsafe conditions.” Records show that the home was full of cigarette butts and covered with trash, and that small children were allowed to bathe by themselves, “without supervision.”"
"Nov 2013 Records say the mother was “verbally abusive on a regular basis and would leave [the children] alone often.”"
"the day before Relisha’s relatives put her in Tatum’s care — she reached her fifth unexcused absence, according to a person familiar with the investigation."
"After 10 unexcused absences, the school was required by law to call the city’s child welfare agency: Relisha reached that threshold March 13.
That day, a school social worker referred Relisha to the child welfare agency, noting that her grandmother insisted she was ill and in the care of Tatum."
"Not until March 19 — six days after Payne raised a flag about Relisha — did a social worker reach out to Tatum and visit the homeless shelter at D.C. General,"
"Otero emphasized that Tatum posed as a doctor to excuse Relisha from school absences."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...500c6e-b43e-11e3-8cb6-284052554d74_story.html
I do suggest reading this if you can, but if you cannot - just read the quotes myself and others are providing because it's the jest but it's plentiful. I bet there are people reading this website due to this case for the very first time, maybe thinking "My gosh! They don't even know this child and look at how upset they are." - but there's something very tangible about Relisha and that changes this from a "case" or news story to something much bigger. Relisha was born into a statistic and I do not want to see her end up one and that be "all she wrote". Relisha is more than a number, she's become our little girl.
Anyway, here's some quotes from the article that's been linked a few times already but I will link it at the bottom again:
"Relisha Rudd’s absences piled up at Daniel A. Payne Elementary School, topping 30 days this year before someone notified the D.C. Child and Family Service Agency on March 13."
"At the same time, officials at Relisha’s school struggled to figure out why she had missed nearly six weeks of class and were confused by excuses provided by her relatives, who said Relisha was safely in the care of a “Dr. Tatum.” Even after police got involved, Relisha’s 27-year-old mother, Shamika Young, assured reporters that Relisha was in a “safe place."
"For the past 18 months, Relisha Rudd lived with her mother and three younger brothers, ages 4, 5 and 7, in the sprawling 278-family shelter on Massachusetts Avenue in Southeast Washington. "
"Relisha played with a 9-year old girl they thought was Tatum’s granddaughter, and he took her shopping and swimming, often returning with a new toy. “He always brought her back when he was supposed to,” said Relisha’s aunt, Ashley Young."
"The statement also says that shelter officials did not know of Tatum spending time with Relisha, and that he worked in a separate building from where they lived. "
"Police tried to call Tatum at 9:39 p.m., but the call went “directly to voice mail,” according to a police affidavit filed Wednesday, and the phone was never turned back on.
"
Now here's Relisha's background via this story:
"In July 2007, workers with the Child and Family Service Agency reported finding inadequate food and supervision for Relisha and her newborn brother and that Relisha had an injury that could have been caused by abuse"
"In April 2010, the agency sustained a complaint that one of Young’s boys was neglected when doctor’s appointments were missed after a surgery, and that children were “living in environmentally unsafe conditions.” Records show that the home was full of cigarette butts and covered with trash, and that small children were allowed to bathe by themselves, “without supervision.”"
"Nov 2013 Records say the mother was “verbally abusive on a regular basis and would leave [the children] alone often.”"
"the day before Relisha’s relatives put her in Tatum’s care — she reached her fifth unexcused absence, according to a person familiar with the investigation."
"After 10 unexcused absences, the school was required by law to call the city’s child welfare agency: Relisha reached that threshold March 13.
That day, a school social worker referred Relisha to the child welfare agency, noting that her grandmother insisted she was ill and in the care of Tatum."
"Not until March 19 — six days after Payne raised a flag about Relisha — did a social worker reach out to Tatum and visit the homeless shelter at D.C. General,"
"Otero emphasized that Tatum posed as a doctor to excuse Relisha from school absences."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...500c6e-b43e-11e3-8cb6-284052554d74_story.html
lease: oh 
