MA - Bella Bond, 2, found dead, Deer Island, Boston Harbor, June 2015 - #6

[Mollyandme]

The latest case has not only touched New England, but so many across the county. The body of 2-and-a-half-year-old Bella Bond, once known only as Baby Doe, was found on a Deer Island beach in June. DCF had investigated cases of neglect involving Bella in 2012 and 2013, but they were closed. The agency never took into consideration Bella's mother's lost custody of two of her other children.

This is absolutely unacceptable. I think I have mentioned this before but the parents history of abuse/neglect is one of the risk factors that is supposed to be used during intake departments initial assessment...there is literally steam coming out of my ears right now. Yes caseworkers are overworked but there's no excuse to miss that glaring fact, which should have been documented on intake of both cases involving Bella. There is no excuse for the caseworker or supervisor for that glaring error and they better have airtight documentation as to why they didn't feel it nescessary to take the past termination of parental rights into consideration and what changes mom had made that they felt she didn't even require ongoing services in the home.

 

[wondering25]

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/09/28/dcf-massachusetts-baker-changes/

I just heard him on TV. Going forward the emphasis will be on keeping children safe.

 

[Dogface]

I think, regardless of who did it, it would have been done in a moment of frustration, like they had put Bella to bed, was about to re-up on drugs, which with injecting is a bit of a process, and perhaps Bella kept getting up, wouldn't stay in bed, and after fussing her she got really upset and the person snapped and held her down in bed with a pillow until she was quiet. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even realize the killed her until much later.

 

[Bootsctr]

I agree that there is some responsibility on the agency that disregarded two other children being removed from RB's care. Plus the fact twice being called for neglect/abuse in Bella's own case makes me think the agency is definitely inept in protecting children in the system.

I am going to put out there that I believe Bella Bond's death was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. If not by RB and MM, then RB would act alone. I'm still having a hard time believing RB did not act alone. JMO! :moo: :cow:

 

[Bootsctr]

I think, regardless of who did it, it would have been done in a moment of frustration, like they had put Bella to bed, was about to re-up on drugs, which with injecting is a bit of a process, and perhaps Bella kept getting up, wouldn't stay in bed, and after fussing her she got really upset and the person snapped and held her down in bed with a pillow until she was quiet. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even realize the killed her until much later.

^^^^ Yes, this!!! A 1,000 times this ^^^^^

 

[Bootsctr]

Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 1h1 hour ago
Additional social workers will be hired to bring #DCF caseloads down to 18 per worker. Currently, it's 20.7 to 1.

 

[Bootsctr]

Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 2h2 hours ago
.@MassGovernor says he was "shocked" to learn that DCF policies have not been updated within the past 10 years.

 

[Bootsctr]

Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 2h2 hours ago
.@MassGovernor: DCF'S Central Regional Office, which was closed in 2009 due to budget constraints, will be reopened.

_________________________________________________________________________
Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 1h1 hour ago
.@MassGovernor is promoting the child protection hotline in the wake of the Bella Bond case. #DCF
1-800-792-5200

____________________________________________________________________________

Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 2h2 hours ago
#DCF reforms include standardized risk assessment tools for social workers, CORI checks in all cases, and the hiring of a medical director.

 

[Bootsctr]

Christina Hager ‏@HagerWBZ · 1h1 hour ago
Gov. Baker just said he has no record of neglect complaints regarding Baby Bella from her father's mother, who claims she called twice. #wbz

 

[Bootsctr]

Christina Hager ‏@HagerWBZ · 2h2 hours ago
DCF union chapter president Peter MacKinnon says social workers pushed for reforms since 1980s, fell "on deaf ears."

 

[Sonya610]

Going forward the emphasis will be on keeping children safe.

Well okay then! In the past it was NOT a priority, but now it is and he has it all under control.

 

[Inthedetails]

Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 2h2 hours ago
.@MassGovernor: DCF'S Central Regional Office, which was closed in 2009 due to budget constraints, will be reopened.

_________________________________________________________________________
Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 1h1 hour ago
.@MassGovernor is promoting the child protection hotline in the wake of the Bella Bond case. #DCF
1-800-792-5200

____________________________________________________________________________

Bernice Corpuz ‏@BerniceWBZ · 2h2 hours ago
#DCF reforms include standardized risk assessment tools for social workers, CORI checks in all cases, and the hiring of a medical director.

It's nice that Bella's legacy is a re-commitment to social services for children.

However, I think the culprit here is drugs, and I'm not optimistic that anything will be done to fix the damage drugs are doing to our people.

Making drug laws more strict is not the answer to the problem, imo. I think the problem to be addressed is WHY people turn to drugs and zone out of their lives. I'm not talking recreational drug use, but the type of drug abuse that saps your humanity and makes you into a creature whose sole purpose is to get more drugs. What is wrong with a culture that SO MANY of our fellow humans are lost enough that being drugged is preferable to living a life? I think we're too afraid to delve into that problem.

So in the meantime, social services will get some press coverage.

JMO.

 

[Sonya610]

I think, regardless of who did it, it would have been done in a moment of frustration.

I agree, done in frustration and/or accidental. I do wonder if any/all drugs would have shown up in the toxicology report, would some have dissipated to the point of not being found after a month?

Bella did not have any broken bones, if they frequently hit/roughed her up it would likely have been evident.

 

[Vedder]

If RB is more than just "accessory after the fact," are people thinking she INTENDED to kill Bella? Or, that she killed Bella but not necessarily on purpose?

I'm not getting a feel for what others are thinking her role is. Premeditated? Or as a result of neglect/abuse without the intent of murder?

At the moment, I'm wondering if Bella died while locked in the closet or while otherwise restrained, perhaps "quieted" with a pillow?

IDK. JMO.

I don't think either one intended to kill Bella (or my mind cannot grasp otherwise). I think they may have been trying to quiet her.

Either way they both make me sick.

 

[Vedder]

Well okay then! In the past it was NOT a priority, but now it is and he has it all under control.

SMH. I honestly don't want to bash DCF, as I'm sure the actual caseworkers care about these families but are overworked. The policy makers and powers-that-be should have had children's safety as first priority from the get go. It has to take a horrible tragedy to open their eyes?!

 

[Dogface]

It's nice that Bella's legacy is a re-commitment to social services for children.

However, I think the culprit here is drugs, and I'm not optimistic that anything will be done to fix the damage drugs are doing to our people.

Making drug laws more strict is not the answer to the problem, imo. I think the problem to be addressed is WHY people turn to drugs and zone out of their lives. I'm not talking recreational drug use, but the type of drug abuse that saps your humanity and makes you into a creature whose sole purpose is to get more drugs. What is wrong with a culture that SO MANY of our fellow humans are lost enough that being drugged is preferable to living a life? I think we're too afraid to delve into that problem.

So in the meantime, social services will get some press coverage.

JMO.

This is all JMO and based solely on my thoughts and not any studies or hard facts. But if you ask any young child, drugs are considered bad. As they get older this starts to change. I remember going through the DARE program at school, and in elementary school it seemed so cool to wear your DARE ribbon. At around middle school it started to shift. It was cool to be bad more or less and to laugh at the program. By high school I don't even remember us having any drug programs.

And I think the shift is part of normal teenager rebellion, but I also think a lot of it is a lack of emotional intelligence(your EQ). EQ is not taught to children and I think it should be. Kids feel insecure, pressure to feel cool, and a lot don't have any methods to actually deal with these feelings. Especially kids who might be coming from a family where there is drugs, abuse or if they lack certain things due to severe impoverishment. When all the kids have the cool shoes and you have off brands it can really cause a lot of pain and embarrassment for a child who doesn't realize that their shoes truly don't matter. Fast forward to young adults, these same children who lack coping skills find like minded people and a way to cope. It's a sad and predictable cycle.

 

[wondering25]

Christina Hager ‏@HagerWBZ · 1h1 hour ago
Gov. Baker just said he has no record of neglect complaints regarding Baby Bella from her father's mother, who claims she called twice. #wbz

Cases were opened twice..Once in in 2012 and once in 2013. Someone called. It may have been anonymous.. JMO

 

[Steleheart]

I agree, done in frustration and/or accidental. I do wonder if any/all drugs would have shown up in the toxicology report, would some have dissipated to the point of not being found after a month?

Bella did not have any broken bones, if they frequently hit/roughed her up it would likely have been evident.

I thought of compressive asphyxia or "Burking" which involves sitting on the chest.

"In homicidal cases, the term burking is often ascribed to a killing method that involves simultaneous smothering and compression of the torso.[3] The term "burking" comes from the method William Burke and William Hare used to kill their victims during the West Port murders. They killed the usually intoxicated victims by sitting on their chests and suffocating them by putting a hand over their nose and mouth, while using the other hand to push the victim's jaw up. The corpses had no visible injuries, and were supplied to medical schools for money."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphyxia

It left no visible signs of trauma. Bella was in the water, fridge, etc so some evidence would not be visible IMO

 

[Inthedetails]

Cases were opened twice..Once in in 2012 and once in 2013. Someone called. It may have been anonymous.. JMO

I thought it was bio-dad's mom who called CPS when Bella was a baby??

JMO

 

[Sonya610]

And I think the shift is part of normal teenager rebellion, but I also think a lot of it is a lack of emotional intelligence(your EQ). EQ is not taught to children and I think it should be. Kids feel insecure, pressure to feel cool, and a lot don't have any methods to actually deal with these feelings.

Well...that and the fact that drugs often DO make make people feel really good. Just like sex, the desire isn't all about peer pressure kwim?

Among better educated individuals there is often enough info to avoid certain drugs due to the risk of severe addiction. Sure it may be good, but they know if they go down that road they may not be able to change course.