Friday, July 16, 2010

DSHS Held Accountable In 3 Year-Old's Death

This story that follows is oft repeated. We need to redirect our resources to protecting kids rather than stealing them from good families to give away to others. How is it that the state lies about the Stuths and Willards to take their granddaughters...but totally...TOTALLY...ignors the reports of real abuse. No one EVER said the Stuths or the Willards were abusive in any way. And yet, the state moved to take their precious little ones. And, on the other hand, abuses are reported and the child is allowed to stay in danger. THESE ARE OUR CHILDREN! WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE OVER THE DEATHS UNDER THE "WATCHFUL EYES" OF THE STATE?

Wash. to pay $2.1 million for child's death
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The state Department of Social and Health Services will pay $2.1 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed in the case of a 3-year-old boy killed by his mother's boyfriend.

In Thursday's settlement in Pierce County Superior Court, the department admits no wrongdoing in the 2008 beating death of Michael Kekoa Ravenell and severe abuse of his younger sister by Noah Thomas.

The boy's father says the state ignored numerous warnings. Michael Ravenell says he reported suspected abuse to DSHS, alerting social workers to suspicious marks and bruising on his son's body.

Thomas pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating and strangling the boy, and throwing him against a wall and furniture, including a metal bed railing. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This stuff is sickening to the majority of us and that`s what I can`t understand. How can all the people in higher positions like Secretary Dreyfus have no feelings toward what these small children are going through? How can our Governor be so void of emotions? And if I remember right, it was reported that the Stuth`s granddaughter had been abused by the foster-adopt woman. You`re SO right when you say there are kids out there that are abused. The money thing is making more sense. The kids that are being abused probably stem from the parents doing drugs which more than likely means the kids were drug babies. They want the young, drug free, adoptable kids with no problems. How can we all fight and get anywhere when there`s so many cover ups? And LIES!! It`s not true that people are being fired. We got our relative`s child back and have adopted. The caseworker has been promoted. She now is an investigator and decides if a child is initially removed from their home. With that postition I believe she will do a lot more damage to families. Laws are being broken. There`s got to be something we can all do.

Anonymous said...

No. DSHS is not accountable here..we the taxpayers are. This 2.1 mil needs to come from the employee's pocket and their supervisors. Not the tax payers.

Anonymous said...
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