BeanE
Inactive
Rest in peace, Charleeni Ferreria. I'm so sorry this happened to you.
AS for her not saying anything..........SHE WAS A CHILD!!!!!!!!! Why didnt SHARON MARSHALL ever say anything? Why didnt JAYCEE??? THe finger pointing needs to be done at the family,the "medical professionals" and DCF **NOT** at the VICTIM regardless of age! NOt only was she physically abused she was mentally & emotionally! We cant begin fathom or question the abused 10 year olds state of mind!!
Panel exonerates DHS in child-abuse death
By John Sullivan
Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted on Fri, Feb. 19, 2010
A panel of experts who reviewed the abuse death of 10-year-old Charlenni Ferreira found no fault with the city Department of Human Services' handling of her case, but said city agencies responsible for children needed to work together to prevent deaths.
Charlenni, a fifth grader at Feltonville Intermediate School, died in October in what investigators called one of the worst cases of child abuse they'd ever seen.
She first came to the agency's attention in 2006 after a school nurse called the agency's child-abuse hotline, saying Charlenni had gashes on her hands, a split lip, and other injuries.
But the agency said that after investigating, monitoring the family, and twice taking Charlenni to doctors who specialize in abuse cases, it could not prove abuse and had no legal ground to keep the case open. During the investigation the Ferreiras complained that DHS was harassing the family.
The case was closed in March 2007; two years later, the girl was dead.
Police charged Charlenni's stepmother, Margarita Garabito, 43, of Feltonville, with murder. Her father, Domingo Ferreira, was also charged, but he committed suicide in jail shortly after his arrest.
much more here (and it only stirs up more questions, IMO, than providing answers)
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/84762207.html
Thanks for the reminder, BeanE. I have to assume that she was not in school at some point-the number of her CURRENT fractures would have made it impossible for her to function...the broken wrist alone and the broken ribs.
What is so frustrating for me DHS and the physicians are the only ones left to rail against. Stepmom is behind bars and dad is dead. It is all too little too late.
snipped from article: "Sources say she was suffering from a broken wrist, ribs and hip, and had an 8 inch gap in her skull that was stuffed with gauze and covered by a weave. Sources said she was also sexually assaulted and mutilated."
and this is heartbreaking to me somehow
"Despite her injuries and repeated abuse, sources say Ferreria made her way to school every day and kept perfect attendance. No one at the school was apparently aware of the terrible pain the little girl was enduring."
She was a 10 year old little girl.
Our world is so sad.
(((((believe09))))) - I agree with you. If we could only see the report to learn for ourselves what this little 7/8 year old girl had to say, I bet we could determine that DHS closed it ears to her voice.
I'm glad you wrote the reporter. Maybe that reporter should ask DHS what Charleeni had to say during that investigation and why DHS thought that Charleeni's words were not important?
I am only assuming that Charleeni disclosed abuse at the time. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Children in trouble generally have NO reason to believe the adults that are supposed to save them. Its a lesson they seem to earn early, poor babies.
Salem