Police look at 2nd abuse accusation,Portland - After a foster childis hurt, a mother says she had reported injuries to her girl in the home...

Police look at 2nd abuse accusation
Portland - After a foster child is hurt, a mother says she had reported
injuries to her girl in the home
Saturday, June 30, 2007
AIMEE GREEN
The Oregonian

http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/pr...560.xml&coll=7

Portland police are investigating allegations of abuse involving a
second toddler who lived at the same foster home as Stephanie Kuntupis,
the 2-year-old girl who was rushed to the hospital unconscious last week
with life-threatening brain injuries.

Jessica Padilla, who identified herself as the mother of the second
toddler, said she saw her daughter with two black eyes, red and purple
marks on her neck and a patch of missing hair on June 12 -- 10 days
before Stephanie collapsed and stopped breathing.

Padilla says she told an Oregon Department of Human Services caseworker
that she suspected her 2-year-old daughter, Qlowey (pronounced like
Chloe), was being choked and beaten.

She said she was told by the caseworker not to worry, that a doctor had
examined the child and determined it was not a case of abuse. According
to Padilla, the caseworker attributed the child's bruises to anemia and
said allergies could account for the red and purple discoloration around
her neck.

"I told her my kid had never looked like that -- there must be something
wrong," said Padilla, who lost custody of Qlowey and her 6-year-old son
to the state in March because of her drug use. "I called DHS and said
please remove the kids (from that home)."

State officials declined to say whether such a request had been made.
But it wasn't until 11 days later -- the day after Stephanie Kuntupis
had to be rushed to the hospital from the same Gresham foster home --
that the state removed Padilla's two children from the home. The action
is standard procedure, and officials are investigating whether
Stephanie's injuries were caused by accident or abuse.

DHS spokeswoman Patricia Feeny confirmed earlier this week that one
child, Stephanie, had been hospitalized, but she said Friday she
couldn't confirm whether another child, Qlowey, had visited the hospital
for less serious injuries. Feeny cited child privacy laws.

Portland police Sgt. Brian Schmautz, however, said detectives were
investigating allegations of abuse involving a second child from the home.

The percentage of children in state custody who are abused and neglected
is increasing. Nearly 100 foster children were victims in 2006,
according to the Department of Human Services. The public rarely learns
the specifics of such abuse, however, because of child confidentiality
laws. The Legislature changed the law in 2005 to require DHS to release
information when foster children die or suffer serious injury because of
abuse.

After reading news reports about Stephanie's brain injuries, Qlowey's
family recognized the name of the foster parents and called The Oregonian.

The foster parents, Michele and Cesar Cruz-Reyes, could not be reached
for comment about Qlowey's case. But earlier in the week Michele
Cruz-Reyes spoke about Stephanie -- saying she suspected Stephanie's
mom, Monique Peals, hurt the child during a visit. Cruz-Reyes said that
although the visits were supposed to be supervised, she'd seen Peals
left alone with Stephanie.

Stephanie was fussy and lethargic after visiting her mom, Cruz-Reyes
said. She collapsed June 22, and an ambulance rushed Stephanie to the
intensive care unit of Legacy Emanuel Children's Hospital, where she has
remained for more than a week now.

Peals and her husband, Stephen Kuntupis, say they had repeatedly
complained to a state caseworker that they thought the foster parents
were responsible for Stephanie's injuries in recent months -- bumps on
the head, scratches on the cheeks, chunks of missing hair and a large
scab on the chin.

Kuntupis said he learned from his attorney that a second foster child in
the Cruz-Reyes' home had been taken to the hospital. Kuntupis said he
was "outraged."

But, he added: "Am I surprised? No."

Peals and Kuntupis lost custody of Stephanie because of drug use. They,
like Padilla, are in drug-treatment programs and hope to regain custody
of their daughter.

Padilla said she learned of Qlowey's injuries shortly before she visited
with her June 12. She said an employee with the Department of Human
Services called and told her not to be alarmed, that Qlowey would look
different. When she saw her daughter, she said she was shocked. In
addition to the black eyes, discoloration and missing hair, she said her
daughter had a split lip and silver-dollar-sized bruises on the bottoms
of her feet.

James Pickup, Qlowey's father, said he's seen his daughter three times
since June 12. The bald patch on her head is slowly filling in with fuzz.

"You can have a medical explanation for everything," Pickup said. "But I
don't believe their explanations. No. No. No."

Aimee Green:503-294-5119;








CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.

BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...