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Report: social workers broke policies before three children died



 
 
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Old February 26th 05, 08:27 PM
wexwimpy
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Default Report: social workers broke policies before three children died

Report: social workers broke policies before three children died

The Associated Press

February 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.

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, investigators say,
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 investigation is closed and
would not comment.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/p...plate=dateline

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