| Posted on Sat, Feb. 26, 2005 | ||
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Mistakes detailed in handling of Meza case HEATHER VOGELL Staff Writer S.C. social services workers missed monthly visits, skipped interviews about sexual abuse allegations and didn't make sure the right documents were provided in Spanish in a case that ended in the slayings of three York County children last year. Two supervisors were suspended without pay for five days and a caseworker received a written warning because of the failures, S.C. Department of Social Services records show. The agency released the records Friday after the Observer requested them under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. The documents detail the mistakes social services workers made when handling the Meza family's case. The bodies of the three Meza children -- Denia, 14, Denise, 8, and Jairo, 5 -- were found after a fire consumed their home north of Rock Hill on Aug. 9, 2004. Someone had slit their throats. Their parents, Denis and Marbely, also died in the blaze. Investigators say they will never know exactly what happened in the home that night. But DSS had reported allegations that Denis was molesting Denia to the Sheriff's Office in May and ordered him out of the house. Denis was arrested in July. Neighbors say he had returned to the home -- despite orders from DSS and the court to stay away. The records released Friday say Sherita Davis, an assessment caseworker who took the case May 3, made these missteps: ? Failed to interview all family members about the sexual abuse allegations. Documents did not specify who was left out. ? Failed to interview other people involved -- called collateral contacts -- about the abuse. Collateral contacts can include teachers and police. ? Failed to make sure that a copy of a key document called a "safety plan" that was provided in Spanish to Marbely, who spoke limited English, was the same as the English version. A safety plan is developed with the family and outlines ways in which the child must be protected. ? Failed to see whether the family was following the safety plan. ? Failed to visit the family at least once a month. The written warning to Davis said further violations could result in discipline and termination. Davis has an unpublished phone number and could not be reached for comment Friday. The records do not show how many workers were on the case, what caseload Davis had or what she did correctly. They do show that two supervisors overseeing the case received harsher punishments than Davis for violating agency rules. Supervisor Tammy Crisp was suspended after failing to go over the case with a DSS worker, not making sure the monthly visits were made and not checking to see whether a worker followed other recommendations for handling the case, records show. DSS officials also reprimanded her for failing to make sure an interpreter was used -- especially for conversations with Marbely. A message left at Crisp's home Friday evening was not immediately returned. She returned to work Jan. 25, records said. The second supervisor, Willa Barnett, was suspended for failing to make sure the caseworker completed tasks such as interviewing all of the family, monitoring the safety plan and making the monthly visits, records show. She also failed to review and sign two DSS worksheets. One provides a comprehensive analysis of a family's situation; the other is used to assess whether adults involved in a case can protect the children, documents say. A message left at Barnett's home was also not returned. She returned to work Jan. 14. DSS first talked about its internal review of the case's handling when it released a report Feb. 1 that said three workers were disciplined. The agency didn't say what they did wrong. But because of the case, the agency did say it had expanded caseworkers' manuals to include more guidance on helping families who speak limited English. DSS attorney Virginia Williamson said Friday that DSS is standing by the Feb. 1 report. "We took the policy action and the personnel action, met with sheriff and the solicitor," she said. "The case is closed." Heather Vogell: (803)327-8509 What a price to pay for these mistakes. Xandria | ||
Meza Update in Charlotte Observer Today
by Xandria 2 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Xandria
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ezekiel3
Finally some news! But very disappointing.
Investigators say they will never know exactly what happened in the home that night.
With all the heat on DSS (county child protection services across the US are notoriously inept) there is bound to be some light shed on whether the local elders did report to authorities or not.
Get ready for more finger-pointing and buck-passing.
Don't forget the Mesas
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blondie
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/11003949.htm
Posted on Sun, Feb. 27, 2005
Two cited in wake of deaths
The Associated Press
ROCK HILL ? Department of Social Services disciplinary records show agency workers failed to follow procedures before three children were killed last August and their bodies were found in the burned rubble of the family?s home near Rock Hill. DSS workers did not meet monthly with the Meza family as required, did not interview all relatives about allegations of child sexual abuse and did not properly handle a translation of a safety plan for the parents, natives of Nicaragua, according to records obtained by The Herald of Rock Hill. The records show the conduct resulted in five-day suspensions for two DSS supervisors and a written warning to an assessment worker. DSS began an investigation in May after Jose ?Denis? Meza had been accused of sexually assaulting his 14-year-old daughter. A safety plan workers created barred Meza from having contact with the family. He ignored that and was arrested in July on two counts of molesting his daughter. On Aug. 10, a few days before a court appearance, Meza?s three children were drugged and their throats were slit, investigators say,. Their bodies, along with those of Meza and his wife, Marbely, were found in the family?s burned home. The 14-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted shortly before she died. The police investigation into the deaths showed Denis Meza had repeated contact with the family and was at the house during most of the day before the fire. http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/11004982.htm ROCK HILL DSS staff disciplined in children's deaths Department of Social Services disciplinary records show agency workers failed to follow procedures before three children were killed in August and their bodies were found in the burned rubble of the family's home near Rock Hill. DSS workers did not meet monthly with the Meza family as required, did not interview all relatives about allegations of child sexual abuse and did not properly handle a translation of a safety plan for the parents, natives of Nicaragua, according to records obtained by The Herald of Rock Hill. The records show the conduct resulted in five-day suspensions for two DSS supervisors and written warning to an assessment worker. DSS began an investigation in May after Jose "Denis" Meza had been accused in May of sexually assaulting his 14-year-old daughter. A safety plan workers created barred Meza from having contact with the family. He ignored that and was arrested in July on two counts of molesting his daughter. On Aug. 10, a few days before a court appearance, Meza's three children were drugged, and their throats were slit. Their bodies, along with those of Meza and his wife, Marbely, were found in their burned home. The 14-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted shortly before she died. The police investigation into the deaths showed Denis Meza had repeated contact with the family and was at the house during most of the day before the fire, police said. The DSS records show: A supervisor didn't conduct required meetings; ensure documentation; monitor the safety plan or make sure the assessment worker followed up with the Mezas. That supervisor also did not ensure family members were interviewed about the sexual-abuse allegations or that the translation of the safety plan matched the English version. A second supervisor did not review the case with a treatment worker at a June staff meeting; ensure the worker followed up on recommendations from that meeting; check to see if an interpreter had been secured or that the worker made mandatory monthly family visits. The assessment worker didn't interview all family members or other people who had contact with the children about the sex-abuse allegations; make sure the safety plan's translation was consistent with the English version and failed to monitor the safety plan or conduct minimum monthly face-to-face meetings with the family. The shortcomings imply that DSS staff did not follow up with the Meza family, said Susan Lyman, an associate professor of social work at Winthrop University. "It sounds like the family fell through the cracks," Lyman said. "It sounds like somebody dropped the ball." DSS lawyer Virginia Williamson said the probe is closed. http://www.wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=3002843&ClientType=Printable assault case (Rock Hill-AP) Feb. 26, 2005 - Department of Social Services disciplinary records show agency workers failed to follow procedures before three children were killed last August and their bodies were found in the burned rubble of the family's home near Rock Hill. Meza was accused in May of sexually assaulting his 14-year-old daughter. He was later arrested on molestation charges. A few days before a hearing in the case, Meza, his wife and three children were found dead in their burned home. The Herald of Rock Hill obtained records that show DSS workers did not meet monthly with the Meza family as required, did not interview all relatives about allegations of child sexual abuse and did not properly handle a translation of a safety plan for the parents, who were natives of Nicaragua. Social Service's internal investigation took almost six months. Two people were suspended and a third received a written warning. A fourth staffer was involved, but that person resigned before the investigation was complete. Posted 4:50pm by Chantelle Janelleand more (use Google News with "Meza" in search)
