MA - Jeremiah Oliver, 5, found deceased, Worcester, 14 Sept 2013 *Arrest in 2023*

[The Cheese]

WCVB-TV Boston ‏@WCVB 2m
Gov. Patrick condemns state failure in missing boy case http://on.wcvb.com/JAzvgv #breaking

"There is no excuse for the kind of failure we have seen here. There will be accountability for those who failed to protect these children," said Jesse Mermell, a spokeswoman for Patrick.

"The social worker assigned to this case did not conduct the required in-person, monthly checks on the family, as required by the Department; and the supervisor failed to enforce that policy," said Roche.

Roche said the two employees, whose names were not disclosed, "have been terminated."

She said the social worker's and the supervisor's other cases are currently under review and the department is working with State Police and prosecutors on the missing boy's case.

"This is an unspeakably disturbing case. Our top priority now is to find Jeremiah and to care for his siblings," said Mermell.

 

[Leilei]

So, the only person who didn't fail this little boy is his sister? What a brave, amazing young lady.

 

[tillietuesday]

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/missing_boy_s_uncle_dad_plan_to_sue_dcf

Oh, boy.

 

[mikkismom]

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/missing_boy_s_uncle_dad_plan_to_sue_dcf

Oh, boy.

I don't think that was a 'crack' he fell through... How could teachers/DCF KNOW about this and turn away from those poor kids?

I know of a situation where a child told someone of abuse - nothing was done. It makes kids afraid to 'tell' again. This brave little girl likely saved her own life as well as her remaining brother.

jmo

 

[mikkismom]

'51A' for those who don't know:

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVII/Chapter119/Section51A

 

[tlcya]

I am trying to figure out how to comment on this uncle and the family members who are so very active at the courthouse NOW.

The uncle of Jeremiah has no legal standing to sue DFCS or anyone else - he is the child's uncle, not his parent, therefore he has no dog in the fight. May not be a pleasant fact but it is a fact that will prevent him from suing anyone on behalf of or due to the presumed loss of his nephew.

I would be curious to know what efforts this angry family made to contact/see the child or what steps they took to express their concerns over his apparent alienation from his father or that side of the family.

I notice his father has been silent and is not among those storming the courtroom demanding answers.

his father has only had this to say that I am aware of

Jose Oliver, the biological father of the three children, lives in New Britain, Conn., and said he has not been in contact with his former wife or three children since she left him a few years ago. He said he had been using drugs.

“I guess she just got tired of it all,” he said. “I don’t blame her for leaving.”

Last year, Elsa Oliver sought a restraining order against Jose Oliver, according to court records.

A divorce proceeding was begun this year but not followed through by either party.

Jose Oliver said he did not know Jeremiah was missing until police contacted him on Monday.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...r-boyfriend/Kr2pyZsJJc7lVZPy9Sa16I/story.html

It is not my intent to speak ill of Jeremiah's relatives, but this uncle threatening to sue DCFS seems to be an interesting character. A lawsuit does Jeremiah zero good, it does his siblings zero good. In my view it would only do the uncle good, IF he could legally file such a suit.

I question the uncles motives for his seeming sudden interest in his nephew's plight and a lawsuit for big bucks.

There I said it.

These children were let down by DCF. But it does not end there. the failures begin much closer to home IMO. Parents, family members, etc all played a role in allowing these kids to live or die through abuse.

 

[mikkismom]

I am trying to figure out how to comment on this uncle and the family members who are so very active at the courthouse NOW.

The uncle of Jeremiah has no legal standing to sue DFCS or anyone else - he is the child's uncle, not his parent, therefore he has no dog in the fight. May not be a pleasant fact but it is a fact that will prevent him from suing anyone on behalf of or due to the presumed loss of his nephew.

I would be curious to know what efforts this angry family made to contact/see the child or what steps they took to express their concerns over his apparent alienation from his father or that side of the family.

I notice his father has been silent and is not among those storming the courtroom demanding answers.

his father has only had this to say that I am aware of



It is not my intent to speak ill of Jeremiah's relatives, but this uncle threatening to sue DCFS seems to be an interesting character. A lawsuit does Jeremiah zero good, it does his siblings zero good. In my view it would only do the uncle good, IF he could legally file such a suit.

I question the uncles motives for his seeming sudden interest in his nephew's plight and a lawsuit for big bucks.

There I said it.

These children were let down by DCF. But it does not end there. the failures begin much closer to home IMO. Parents, family members, etc all played a role in allowing these kids to live or die through abuse.

Without addressing the rest of your post (most of which I agree with), a lawsuit IS the best way to get the 'whole story'. (As opposed to allowing the government to 'report their findings' IYKWIM)

This reminds me of poor little Jhessye who was placed with loving cousins at birth then taken by DCF and given back to her, um, birthperson only to be killed by said person. When DCF swoops in and says, 'We got this!' - smh

I just think there is PLENTY of blame to go around - but while everyone is pointing fingers, children are dying.

jmo


Jhessye's thread: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222613&highlight=jhessye

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

I don't think that was a 'crack' he fell through... How could teachers/DCF KNOW about this and turn away from those poor kids?

I know of a situation where a child told someone of abuse - nothing was done. It makes kids afraid to 'tell' again. This brave little girl likely saved her own life as well as her remaining brother.

jmo

I agree. I hope that she is being given all the praise and support she deserves. How many grown men and women suffer in silence because their abusers hold so much power over them? Standing up to them isn't easy!

 

[tlcya]

Yes. Sissy is the hero in this tale. She Rescued herself and her brother. And since DCF was involved at some point prior we know she did that in the face of knowing someone had told in the past and nothing had been done.

Such bravery for her to tell under those circumstances.

 

[The Cheese]

‘Terrifying’ screaming from boy’s home, neighbor alleges - JeremiahOliver #Missing - Boston Herald http://bit.ly/1fGJcFy

 

[The Cheese]

A state social worker not only failed to carry out mandatory monthly visits to the home where 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver lived, but also recommended that the family, which has a history of drug abuse and violence, be released from state oversight because it was doing well, the commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families said Wednesday.

The recommendation in September to end supervision of the troubled household came even though it had been four months since social workers had seen the boy, state officials acknowledged. Jeremiah is now missing and feared dead.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...-months-ago/vE7HRPrUsOSBVvemhN3JIJ/story.html

 

[The Cheese]

Please read this excellent piece.

Jeremiah Oliver was a little boy lost
By Yvonne Abraham
Boston Globe

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/19/little-boy-lost/VxuYm0ixER7qWActgfJVfI/story.html

 

[tillietuesday]

Again - another child lost, more children traumatized and abused....and, after the fact, when the media's asking questions, interviewing people, when there's attention and possibly money to be had or made - here come the adults who are now interested.
The uncle is going to sue. The neighbors heard "terrifying" screams coming from the home.

SERIOUSLY?????!!!!!!!

There's a part of me that hates all of these people: the neighbors, the family, DCF.....in addition to the parents and mom's boyfriend. I want to scream,
"YOU PEOPLE STOOD BY AND DID NOTHING. YOU PEOPLE - YOU ADULTS - SAW A PROBLEM, PROBLEMS, PAIN AND SUFFERING OF HELPLESS CHILDREN....AND DID NOTHING!!!!! GO AWAY NOW - CRAWL BACK UNDER YOUR ROCKS. YOU WERE SILENT AND DID NOTHING WHILE THESE LITTLE ONES WERE SUFFERING. YOU DO NOT DESERVE OUR ATTENTION, YOU DESERVE NOTHING EXCEPT OUR SCORN AND ANGER AND DISGUST."

(I apologize for my anger. Well, not the anger - just the rant. Still, I stand by the sentiment.)

On the matter of the uncle talking about suing DCF - he can go far, far away and be still and quiet in whatever dark hole he was in while these children were being abused.
HOWEVER-
I do think lawsuits againt DCF are sometimes the only way to make the administration of these agencies pay attention. There should, ultimately, be criminal liability for the neglect of the worker and the supervisor who were fired - but who knows if that will ever happen. The whole system stinks, in every state, it seems. Danieal Kelly comes to mind - there were criminal convictions of negligent DCF workers as a result of her death (murder), but the system still sucks and kids on DCF/CPS' radar are still dying.

I don't know what the answer is. I do know that, when people who know that children are in danger do nothing, say nothing, turn their backs, ignore, or dismiss, children die. When people fight for abused children, when they raise hell, make nuisances of themselves, put themselves out, take a chance, report, reach out - sometimes (I know, it's only sometimes) those lives are saved.

 

[TravelingBug]

Unbelievable!

Roche said Wednesday that the social worker had neglected her duties with other children, too. Of the 18 cases she was handling, Roche said, the social worker had failed to make monthly visits to eight of the households. (The commissioner said the other seven families were doing fine despite the social worker going MIA.)

 

[TxLady2]

Dating I don't mind. You get the kids a babysitter, you go out, if you're gonna get down and dirty you go to his place.

Most of these cases, they aren't dating. They're latching onto a new man, moving them in, expecting them to play baby daddies to other men's children and never actually getting to know the person before letting them into the children's lives.

I agree with you. It seems dating is kind of obsolete nowadays, they meet some guy, and move in together the next week. Not good if you have kids.

I was single for a number of years, and I had a few hard and fast rules. No sleeping together in my house with my kids there. And if he showed any dislike or impatience with my boys, he was gone. And NO guy was allowed to ever correct my kids, that was my job.

 

[TxLady2]

I am trying to figure out how to comment on this uncle and the family members who are so very active at the courthouse NOW.

The uncle of Jeremiah has no legal standing to sue DFCS or anyone else - he is the child's uncle, not his parent, therefore he has no dog in the fight. May not be a pleasant fact but it is a fact that will prevent him from suing anyone on behalf of or due to the presumed loss of his nephew.

I would be curious to know what efforts this angry family made to contact/see the child or what steps they took to express their concerns over his apparent alienation from his father or that side of the family.

I notice his father has been silent and is not among those storming the courtroom demanding answers.

his father has only had this to say that I am aware of



It is not my intent to speak ill of Jeremiah's relatives, but this uncle threatening to sue DCFS seems to be an interesting character. A lawsuit does Jeremiah zero good, it does his siblings zero good. In my view it would only do the uncle good, IF he could legally file such a suit.

I question the uncles motives for his seeming sudden interest in his nephew's plight and a lawsuit for big bucks.

There I said it.

These children were let down by DCF. But it does not end there. the failures begin much closer to home IMO. Parents, family members, etc all played a role in allowing these kids to live or die through abuse.

Agreed 100%! Where was this uncle for the past few months? Where were all the other relatives who seem to be so concerned now, but did nothing back then?

You're right, the uncle has no grounds to file a lawsuit, and I am not sure the father would either, since he has made no effort to even see his kids in three years.

I am always amazed reading some of these cases where children seem to be ignored and neglected until something happens, and then everybody wants to blame everybody else. Ultimately this mother should carry the brunt of the blame, since she did nothing to protect him, along with the b/f, of course. And DCF should have done their jobs as well. I understand some of them are overwhelmed and there are far too few SW's for the amount of families they have to oversee, but there has to be some accountability here.

I don't feel guilty for saying what I think, someone has to care about these kids! Jeremiah is the victim here... not the uncle or the absentee dad. If they cared, they should have tried to stop it!

 

[TxLady2]

Again - another child lost, more children traumatized and abused....and, after the fact, when the media's asking questions, interviewing people, when there's attention and possibly money to be had or made - here come the adults who are now interested.
The uncle is going to sue. The neighbors heard "terrifying" screams coming from the home.

SERIOUSLY?????!!!!!!!

There's a part of me that hates all of these people: the neighbors, the family, DCF.....in addition to the parents and mom's boyfriend. I want to scream,
"YOU PEOPLE STOOD BY AND DID NOTHING. YOU PEOPLE - YOU ADULTS - SAW A PROBLEM, PROBLEMS, PAIN AND SUFFERING OF HELPLESS CHILDREN....AND DID NOTHING!!!!! GO AWAY NOW - CRAWL BACK UNDER YOUR ROCKS. YOU WERE SILENT AND DID NOTHING WHILE THESE LITTLE ONES WERE SUFFERING. YOU DO NOT DESERVE OUR ATTENTION, YOU DESERVE NOTHING EXCEPT OUR SCORN AND ANGER AND DISGUST."

(I apologize for my anger. Well, not the anger - just the rant. Still, I stand by the sentiment.)

On the matter of the uncle talking about suing DCF - he can go far, far away and be still and quiet in whatever dark hole he was in while these children were being abused.
HOWEVER-
I do think lawsuits againt DCF are sometimes the only way to make the administration of these agencies pay attention. There should, ultimately, be criminal liability for the neglect of the worker and the supervisor who were fired - but who knows if that will ever happen. The whole system stinks, in every state, it seems. Danieal Kelly comes to mind - there were criminal convictions of negligent DCF workers as a result of her death (murder), but the system still sucks and kids on DCF/CPS' radar are still dying.

I don't know what the answer is. I do know that, when people who know that children are in danger do nothing, say nothing, turn their backs, ignore, or dismiss, children die. When people fight for abused children, when they raise hell, make nuisances of themselves, put themselves out, take a chance, report, reach out - sometimes (I know, it's only sometimes) those lives are saved.

If neighbors heard terrible screaming, did anyone call the cops? If not, why not? I am not positive, but I would think if LE came and saw evidence of abuse going on with the children, or even the mother, they could remove the children from the home and immediately notify DCF who would send a SW out to place them in foster care. I believe that is the way it is done here, at least.

DCF failed in their jobs, but so did a lot of other people. SOMEONE should have made SURE that these children were protected, if the mother was unable or unwilling.

Yes, sometimes lawsuits can bring attention to these cases. But who in this case has the right to file one? Neither of the parents, obviously, so who's left?

 

[ellemo]

Yes, sometimes lawsuits can bring attention to these cases. But who in this case has the right to file one? Neither of the parents, obviously, so who's left?

Guardians for the remaining two children, I would assume.

As for the father's family, I reserve judgement. It is definitely suspect that the uncle is talking about suing. But there may not have been be much that the uncle could do for the past two years. If the father is out of the picture, the extended family usually has no legal right to the kids. If the father was abusing the mother, perhaps the family assumed that the kids were better off without him and didn't want to possibly bring the father back into the lives of these kids. Or maybe they tried to keep in touch, but were rebuffed by the mom.

As for the mother, who allegedly went from one abuser to another, I cannot fathom it. If she was strong enough to get away from one abuser, why go to another one. Or was it not strength but vindictiveness that caused her to report her kids' father.
Nor can I fathom allowing a man to hurt your child

 

[The Cheese]

@BostonGlobe: Timeline of events in the Jeremiah Oliver case: http://b.globe.com/19ex1R0

 

[The Cheese]

DCF Area Program Manager reassigned for duration case - #JeremiahOliver #missing | FOX 25 Boston http://bit.ly/19g4cUo

A Department of Children and Families social worker and a supervisor were fired in the case of a missing Fitchburg boy. However, now Area Program Manager Ana Melendez, who oversees the supervisor, has now been reassigned for the duration of the investigation into the Oliver case.

We've also learned she is friends with the DCF commissioner, but it's unclear how close of a friendship it is.

All of it is raising questions about why more people aren't being held accountable.

In a statement, a spokesman for DCF said, "As is customary during a review, the area program manager has been reassigned for the duration of the investigation into the Oliver case. Any determination as to the future of this or any other employee will be made after the conclusion of the full and transparent investigation ordered by the governor."