It does seem that way. But you know, the parents really aren't doing themselves any favors. They have seemed quite overbearing and aggressive and histrionic at times. Quite telling was the Connecticut facility's response to them stating they would not take Justina because they "could not afford a protracted legal battle".
That was after the dad screamed and hollered about the place and then changed his mind and wanted Justina there.
Too late.
And I don't blame the facility one bit.
I have deep concerns about this case. I have deep concerns about BCH's actions (possibly knee-jerk, too rapid and retaliatory conclusions about the family and the child - medical abuse determinations usually take months, not one hospital stay). And I have deep concerns about possible government overreach and intrusion into constitutionally protected parental rights, on the part of DCF and the courts. And let me tell you, I've personally seen it happen.
Example? I had client with a frighteningly abusive husband. He had been diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder, bi polar disorder, alcohol abuse and could've been diagnosed with more but he abruptly stopped the process and would not allow the psychiatrists to continue with their evaluation.
He liked to beat the tar out of people. He beat up a parking attendant for angering him. He beat an old homeless man into the hospital. He attacked my client's female friends during parties. He battered my client, ruthlessly, on numerous occasions.
He liked to stare at little girls in the store.
He was very, very sinister and creepy and manipulative and violently scary and he's the only opposing party I've ever had a nightmare about.
Well, I got a restraining order against him and only supervised visits for him with the parties' infant girl.
Fast forward a year. The private monitor is a nut. She fell for the guy, I think or for his manipulations. She allowed a visit to occur against protocol even though he reeked of alcohol, because he said someone spilled it on him (and he never changed his shirt). She told him where my client lived. She even had him drive into the gates behind her as she went to pick up the child for a visit, which was a horrible breach of the rules.
Worse, she started telling my client that she should get back together with her abuser - that he wasn't that bad.
In the meantime, the husband wasn't paying support as ordered and my client became homeless. She ended up in various very sketchy living situations. The baby became covered with fleas bites at one place and they stole all her money. My client ended up walking on the street, crying, with a sick baby and nowhere to go. She went back to the house and banged on the door demanding her stuff and money. She called the police and they told her it was a civil matter. She asked or help with housing and they called social services.
Social services came and the woman immediately had a bad attitude. The worker asked where the father was and couldn't he pick up the child? My client explained that he was violent and shouldn't be able to take the kid, but she made a mistake and gave the worker the monitor's number.
That's was it.
The monitor colluded with the father and social services and he went into court (new judge now) and got emergency, temporary custody with no notice to my client. She was at a motel and social services came with the police and took the child.
The child was given to the father.
The judge made a mistake. He was 100% unaware of the restraining order and supervised visitation order. He realized his mistake a week later and belated modified the restraining order to allow the father to have custody of the now two year old who had not seen her father except for sporadic supervised visits, since she was 4 months old.
It took me an entire year of court to get the kid back. The judge and social services could not admit their mistake. They would lose face. So the child remained with the psycho. Luckily, she was cared for primarily by his very elderly parents but she came out of it with an intense startle reflex and no speech.
This is one example. I can give more. So I know the danger of unfettered bureaucracy.
That being said, I recognize the Pelletiers. I have had numerous clients like them and those clients have been nightmares.
Are they guilty of medical abuse? I don't know. Possibly. I have my doubts. But I have no doubt that their behavior has helped foster this night mare.
