Jun 14, 2006 5:13 pm US/Eastern
Report Criticizes DSS Handling Of Haleigh Poutre
BOSTON (AP) ―
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Haleigh Poutre, who had been nearly beaten to death, later emerged from her vegetative state.
AP
A House panel reviewing the case of a brain-injured Westfield girl in state care harshly criticized the Department of Social Service's handling of her case, saying the department's lack of oversight "unduly placed the child in harm's way."
Members of the House Post Audit Committee convened for less than 10 minutes Wednesday to release a portion of the report on Haleigh Poutre's care, then retreated behind closed doors at the request of DSS Commissioner Harry Spence, who cited privacy concerns and the sensitive nature of the case. Lawmakers released 65 pages but at least 100 more were not released due to privacy concerns.
The report examines Haleigh's case and lists 10 recommendations to improve the state's foster care system, including increasing law enforcement involvement in child abuse cases and making the end-of-life process public.
Haleigh was put into state care last fall after police said her adoptive mother and stepfather beat her nearly to death. DSS was criticized for acting too quickly to try to end Haleigh's life support when doctors said she was in a vegetative state. Spence also came under fire for not seeking more medical opinions on her chance for recovery. Haleigh, now 12, is in a rehabilitation center.
The House committee report found that between July 1998 and January 1999, a lack of continual oversight and integrated case management by DSS personnel may have unduly placed the child in harm's way. The committee's investigators found that for nearly 10 months, DSS did not get Haleigh required dental care.
It also found "unsubstantiated allegations" that Haleigh injured herself.
DSS had received at least a dozen reports alleging that Haleigh was being abused between 2001 and 2005, but psychiatrists and doctors were convinced that the girl's injuries were self-inflicted.
The report said the committee was "unable to find any formal reference to and/or firsthand corroboration of self-injurious behavior by the child."
This is the third such inquiry into Haleigh's case by Statehouse officials and lawmakers.
In March, Gov. Mitt Romney released findings of a three-member panel he appointed to study the case. A few weeks later, a legislative committee on foster care also unveiled recommendations to reform the state's foster care system based on Haleigh's case and that of 4-year-old Dontel Jeffers, who died in March 2005 while in state care.
Romney said Haleigh's case demonstrated that "errors in human judgment occur," but said no action will be taken against any Department of Social Service workers. But he said the state's system to deal with deciding to remove children from life support and the way it approaches abuse cases "isn't adequate anymore."
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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