Letters: Is system broken? Does anyone care?

I was deeply troubled by the circumstances surrounding 8-year-old Xzayrion Riley’s death. My information is from the newspaper article on June 16.

If I counted correctly, at least seven people and agencies had contact with this child. Perhaps the Department of Children and Family Services needs an external investigation rather than an internal case review. It seems the Sheriff’s Office may not be trained in observing signs of child abuse.

The Our Lady of the Lake medical staff and school staff are required by law to report suspicious child abuse. Did they? With bruises, abrasions, and broken bones previously noted by OLOL, what did they do?

It seems Xzayrion just fell through the cracks, and who cares? Well, I am one person who cares.

Jeanette Hendrix Christiansen

retired state social worker

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by mcarter - 21/06/2012

So we are blaming the governor! This child had been abused well before the governor was even in office. Blame who you want, but it know one thing, I have an 8 yr old grandson and there no way in hell him or any of those other chiildren would have been living with those people. I would know if my grandchildren were being abused.

2) Comment by bourbon-soda - 20/06/2012

Check report on msnbc, well known reactionary chauvinistic organization, in my first comment below. Love the "nontraditional" euphemism.

3) Comment by twinkie1cat - 20/06/2012

I cannot help thinking that this would have been more likely to be prevented if Gov. Jindal had not been systematically cutting the budgets of social service agencies and non-profits for the last 4 years. The organizations that help children-----public schools and Health and Hospitals are suffering. Therefore, children are suffering. While the parents are physically responsible for Zxavion's death, Bobby Jindal is responsible for not providing money for the services needed to prevent it.

4) Comment by twinkie1cat - 20/06/2012

CPS was aware that this family had problems yet they were still trying to keep it together. Zxavion was in protective child care which meant that he went to a day care program after school which kept him from having too much contact with his parents. He also had a babysitter which is sometimes provided in families that are potentially dangerous. They knew well the potential for severe abuse in this family. The article also stated that he had just completed 1st grade. Zxavion was listed as 8 in one article. This meant he was already behind in school, also a possible indicator of abuse or a mother who drank or used drugs while she was pregnant. Maybe CPS does not have any safe foster homes that will take a black male right now and so was trying to keep him at home. Baton Rouge has no children's shelter for kids waiting for foster care. Maybe CPS did not care enough, but 7 contacts should have been a brightly waving red flag even if he had to be sent to another parish. There needs to be an EXTERNAL investigation of both CPS and the sheriff's department in this case and some legal changes in the next legislative session. There was a similar case in Atlanta a few years ago with a 4 year old being abused by his grandmother. When he died heads rolled at DFACS because they knew he was in danger and did not do any thing about it. His name was Terrell Peterson and the new law in Georgia to do a better job of protecting children was named after him.

5) Comment by twinkie1cat - 20/06/2012

Bourbonsoda, I think you have had too many again. The sexual revolution did not cause the disruption of families. It was the result of families becoming disruptive to the lives of women who were sick of being treated like second class citizens. With civil rights for AAs came equal rights for the disabled, an awareness of the plight of abused children, and now, gay rights. You are treating a bloody sore with a band aid when there is a cancer underneath. Do you realize that the first recourse for child abuse came from laws to prevent cruelty to ANIMALS? The police and community knew about a child who was being treated horribly but there were no laws against child abuse. So the law against animal abuse was used and the Humane Society brought in to prosecute the father.

6) Comment by teacherguy - 20/06/2012

Every time my mother heard one of her grandchildren were spanked...she made sure to tell us dad's, "Be careful how hard you hit them, son. They are just children and you have no idea how strong you are to a little guy/girl." EVERY time... and you know what? Some parents don't have a matriarch/patriarch of the family to influence such things. We NEVER were allowed to spank a child without remembering what momma said while doing it. She apparently was talking to the mom's, too, because they seemed to echo what mom said...and you know what? No one in our family has ever felt freedom to go too far...however, there are situations where unstable parents isolate and segregate from family pretty well. They will avoid stable family on purpose to hide their addictions and abuse and the government agency does hold a stronger responsibility to the children in such situations. This was an unfortunate situation, that is a wake up call to families across the nation to keep an eye out on the little ones...even if they are not yours.

7) Comment by [e-mail] - 20/06/2012

All the fault, blame, guilt, and other finger pointing tactics must be placed squarely on the perpetrator; only the family/dwelling members knew what was really going on and if they didn't act don't give them a pass and say "they" should have done something so it's the fault of the government. "They" can't prevent such things.

8) Comment by lovemykids - 20/06/2012

Sounds like the parents are more concerned with their adult relationships than with their child.

9) Comment by bourbon-soda - 20/06/2012

The past 50 years have seen a constant campaign to disrupt families. The system is partly broken because of the so-called sexual revolution. Ideas and actions have consequences: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21838575/ns/health- %20childrens_health/t/children-higher-risk-nontraditional-homes/#.T9_K- a6vdc9 .

10) Comment by Elderly Man - 20/06/2012

We stress not disrupting families ahead of protecting children from abuse and death. The primary concern needs to be the well-being of a child, not some idealised notion of family integrity. This is an important and thoughtful letter.