Department of Social Services admits to failing boy
Wow, here’s something you don’t hear every day — a government agency admitting they screwed up:
As the head of the state Department of Social Services admitted to a litany of mistakes, police arrested the mother of a 7-year-old boy yesterday, accusing her of letting her son be repeatedly beaten, bloodied, and burned with cigarettes by her boyfriend.
The [boy’s mother, Michelle Henry] was arrested after the child gave a heartbreaking interview to police in which he said that his mother was present when the boyfriend, David J. Privette, touched his genitals and buttocks with a cigarette, according to a police report filed in court yesterday.
DSS Commissioner Angelo McClain said that his department failed the boy on multiple fronts.
McClain said the agency had become so alarmed by the situation at the boy’s home that it initiated proceedings to take custody of the boy and his 3-year-old half-sister earlier this month. But he admitted DSS had waited too long to take the action.
Information from: http://www.boston.com/news/local/article...
