Family of murdered Bella Vista child had been investigated by DHS twice in 2014

[LiberalArkie]

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2015/04/10/family-of-murdered-bella-vista-child-had-been-investigated-by-dhs-twice-in-2014-twice-more-in-early-2000s



The child fatality record maintained by the state Department of Human Services shows that DHS caseworkers had previously investigated the family of 6-year-old Maurice Isaiah Torres on multiple occasions. Isaiah Torres died on March 29, 2015 after being raped and severely physically abused while in the care of his parents, Mauricio Torres and Cathy Torres of Bella Vista. Both have been arrested on charges of capital murder, rape and first-degree battery.

A case summary briefing released by DHS shows that the agency investigated the Torres family twice in 2014. The first investigation, on Jan. 22, 2014, was into allegations of inadequate supervision. The second, March 10, 2014, included allegations that the boy had "cuts, bruises and welts."

The summary briefing indicates DHS found the allegations unsubstantiated both times. But according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Bella Vista Police Department in Benton County Court, an autopsy showed the child had suffered chronic abuse. His body showed multiple healed and healing wounds, along with evidence of blunt force trauma to his head and body. The final trauma occurred within 24 hours of his death. The affidavit also says Isaiah's mother eventually told police that her husband had beaten Isaiah in the past with a belt, an extension cord and his knuckles.

The affidavit also mentions that the father "stated that the injuries to Isaiah's back were caused by a chemical burn in the past and that Isaiah had been treated for the injuries at Arkansas' Children Hospital in Little Rock." A doctor confirmed that "the medical database did indicate Isaiah had been treated for some type of injury to his back by ACH in 2014," the affidavit says.


Snip



An update article: http://5newsonline.com/2015/04/07/bella-vista-boys-death-caused-by-rape-and-chronic-child-abuse-prosecutor-says/

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I hope they get everything they deserve.

[RealityAdvocate]

2. DHS has a long history of failing to protect children who need it.

As an insider, it never ceases to amaze me how callous and backwards their procedures are.

[LiberalArkie]

3. I think it is like that in every large organization.

I worked for a large rural telephone company and on of the small offices (where I lived) got hit bad by lightning. It was out of service for 4 days. No LD, no local, no 911, no dial tone. The general though in the big central office that I worked in was "what's the hurry no one important lives that far out in the sticks".

I really don't know the solution. You take the children away from the "God fearing good parents" and people scream. You don't take them out and a child dies and people scream.

[Igel]

4. All organizations like this have a history of failure.

Partly because they have a lot of things to do and insufficient time to spend on any one case. With limited resources--and resources are always limited--there will be unmet perceived needs.

Partly because as they investigate, those they're investigating are defending themselves. It's not a chemistry or physics experiment where there's really only one side--you set up controls and what's happening is purely mechanical.

Partly because there are rules and regulations as to what can be accepted as evidence, where to draw the line between ascribing malice and accident, where to draw the line between reasonable and unreasonable behavior.

Partly because the people doing the investigation are, in fact, people.

We can tweak these things, but never make them perfect. And should keep in mind that much evil is done in the pursuit of partial perfection.

Instead of blaming DHS, I blame the guilty people, the parents.

[RealityAdvocate]

5. Oh, I do blame the parents.

I've just had my fill of physically and sexually abused children left in dangerous homes by DHS. It happens far more often than most people realize.