Apr 10, 2008 8:08 am US/Eastern
DSS Visited Home In Southie Fire 6 Times
BOSTON (AP) ―
A South Boston home where two sisters died in a suspected arson fire had been visited by the Department of Social Services six times since February.
The agency says the most recent visit was last Friday, two days before the blaze which took the lives of 14-year-old Acia Johnson and her 3-year-old sister, Sophia.
Child protection advocates are questioning why the children were still living in the home despite a series of neglect complaints against their mother, 34-year-old Anna Reisopoloulos, dating back to 1995.
A spokesman for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services says three of the woman's four children were legally removed from her care in 2003 and placed in the custody of other relatives.
Police and fire officials say they are continuing to investigate the fast-moving blaze, with no arrests reported.
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