Child Abuse

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

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Editor, Times-Union:

I am sure that I speak for most people when I tell you just how gut-wrenching the story was about the 2-year-old little girl that recently died of injuries due to child abuse.[[In-content Ad]]I can not believe how many times this sweet child, "Maya," was taken away from her so-called parents because of abuse, put with other family members, and then returned back to her abusive home. Several times this happened. The babysitter told the mother about the injuries that she observed on Maya many times since last summer, the mother always made excuses for them. The St. Joseph County Dept. of Child services knew of the abuse and still let Maya remain in that situation. How did any of those people live with themselves, knowing what was going on in that home?

The laws are surely messed up if this kind of thing can legally happen. All the parents had to do each time was jump through a few hoops to satisfy the agency, and the little girl had to go back to the abuse.

In December 2007, a psychiatrist advised the DCS that the parents were not a danger to Maya and that she should return to both parents. This child was taken to the hospital many times with broken bones, severe bruising, couldn't walk due to injuries, and still was returned to the parents for more abuse. The whole thing just sickens me. To top it off, the mother is only being charged with neglect of a dependent.

I think they are all guilty: the parents, the babysitter, the Dept. of Child services and the psychiatrist. They should all be charged.

Why can't there be a ruling made that after two or three times of suspected child abuse, the child is removed from the abuse forever? If that were the case here, little Maya would still be alive. She would be getting excited about Christmas and Santa Claus, all the things an innocent 2-year-old should be doing this time of year.

Maya lived two years of hell on earth and it seems that no one really listened or cared. Shame on them all.

Lillian Carnes

Mentone, via e-mail

Editor, Times-Union:

I am sure that I speak for most people when I tell you just how gut-wrenching the story was about the 2-year-old little girl that recently died of injuries due to child abuse.[[In-content Ad]]I can not believe how many times this sweet child, "Maya," was taken away from her so-called parents because of abuse, put with other family members, and then returned back to her abusive home. Several times this happened. The babysitter told the mother about the injuries that she observed on Maya many times since last summer, the mother always made excuses for them. The St. Joseph County Dept. of Child services knew of the abuse and still let Maya remain in that situation. How did any of those people live with themselves, knowing what was going on in that home?

The laws are surely messed up if this kind of thing can legally happen. All the parents had to do each time was jump through a few hoops to satisfy the agency, and the little girl had to go back to the abuse.

In December 2007, a psychiatrist advised the DCS that the parents were not a danger to Maya and that she should return to both parents. This child was taken to the hospital many times with broken bones, severe bruising, couldn't walk due to injuries, and still was returned to the parents for more abuse. The whole thing just sickens me. To top it off, the mother is only being charged with neglect of a dependent.

I think they are all guilty: the parents, the babysitter, the Dept. of Child services and the psychiatrist. They should all be charged.

Why can't there be a ruling made that after two or three times of suspected child abuse, the child is removed from the abuse forever? If that were the case here, little Maya would still be alive. She would be getting excited about Christmas and Santa Claus, all the things an innocent 2-year-old should be doing this time of year.

Maya lived two years of hell on earth and it seems that no one really listened or cared. Shame on them all.

Lillian Carnes

Mentone, via e-mail
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