Starving children in WA all to common

[tanya]

Here is an article in todays Seattle PI.

State, others will pay $6 million to boy who nearly starved to death
By VANESSA HO
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

A 6-year-old Everett boy who was found beaten and starving to death will receive $6 million from the state and two other defendants in an court settlement reached Tuesday.

The state's portion - $5 million - is the largest payment to a child victim ever by the Department of Social and Health Services. The boy's therapist and a social-service agency that employed the therapist are the two other defendants.

The agreement ends a lawsuit filed against the agency in Snohomish County Superior Court last year on behalf of the boy, Shayne Abegg, who was a skeletal weight of 25 pounds when police rescued him in March 2007.

The boy's body was covered in bruises and sores, his temperature had dropped to 87 degrees, and he could not sit or stand without help. A judge compared the sight of him to someone in a Nazi concentration camp.

The lawsuit accused DSHS of failing to adequately investigate many signs of abuse while the boy lived with his father. It said four caseworkers had missed a pattern of abuse and neglect, including reports that the boy was malnourished and had hoarded food.

"This little boy who was neglected by the state for 14 months while they received warning after warning that he was being starved and neglected will now have the resources to take care of himself for the remainder of his life," said the boy's lawyer, David Moody, of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro law firm in Seattle. Moody has a long history of successfully suing DSHS.

The boy's father, Danny Abegg, and his girlfriend, Marilea Mitchell, were sentenced to eight years in prison last year. They were convicted of criminal mistreatment for withholding food from Shayne as punishment.

The lawsuit alleged that the family's therapist had failed to report signs of abuse, despite billing for work for regular visits he allegedly did up until Shayne's rescue, Moody said.

Moody said Shayne is now living with his third foster family since his rescue. "DSHS continues to get it wrong for this little boy, and has now placed him in three separate foster homes," he said. The money will be placed into a fund managed by the court until he is at least 18.

Sherry Hill, a spokeswoman for the Children's Administration in DSHS, said Shayne is in "good health." She could not comment on his foster-care status.

"Any child who has endured what Shayne did so early in his life may face challenges throughout the rest of his life," she said. "We're pleased the state can provide some financial assistance to help him face those challenges."

The poor child should have had several people looking out for his best interests, first and foremost his parents who obviously were no parents at all, secondly the therapists and social workers.  Finally the courts and people of WA were called in to mitigate.  BUT you know what really gets me is this hag's quote at the end of the article how pleased the DSHS is that they can help with financial assistance.  WAKE UP LADY THE STATE LOST THIER CHANCE AT ASSISTANCE FOR THIS CHILD. THE COURTS ORDER IS PUNISHMENT FOR NOT PROVIDING THE ASSISTANCE THE TAXPAYERS WERE PAYING FOR ALL ALONG!!!!!  That arrogance is what we are paying for each and every time a child is left in a situation without assistance.  It is appaling and has gone on quite long enough.  Crimminal neglect charges should be brought to all the so called professionals involved each and every time a case like this occurs.  It is not enough to just keep paying out settlements.  When these morons take on the JOB they should be held accoutntable for the responsibility that goes along with that JOB.  Dozens of children have died due to the DSHS mismanagement and stonewalling efforst this little boy was lucky enough that a REAL POLICE officer was finally called to investigate his situation, left another week and he would be one of the many many dead ones.  It is absolutely sickening and I don't see how anyone with that agency can sleep at night knowing full well they sit at the table with crooks and crimminals of such caliber.  I don't see how taxpayers can sit back and eat their dinners tonight knowing that very likely there is another child starving, while taxpayers pay for services that are basically imaginary.  I hope the POLICE are investigating every single file in that agency and checking in with every single child who is supposedly being provided services and when they find the ones who are NOT being provided services I hope thier case workers are charged with neglect.  Yeah the parents are supposed to be the ones responsible but when they are not we taxpayers are paying 20 billion a year for a safety net and that safety net is NOT for the lazy DSHS employees!!!!