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Grand Jury Finds Fault with Westchester County's Child Protective Services

By ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |
June 28, 2004

Prompted by the deaths of two children and the injuries two others sustained when Westchester Child Services returned abused children to their parents, a grand jury was convened in January to make recommendations for improvements to the system. The members of the grand jury heard sworn testimony from nearly 30 witnesses, examined over a hundred pieces of evidence and analyzed relevant law. They found that there were systematic failings in protective services to prevent injury and death to children already under the supervision of DSS. Their report, released to the public in June at the Grand Jury's request, made 15 suggestions for improvements. The report is tellingly titled “Returning Abused Children to their Abuser: How Westchester County's Child Protective System Fails the Children It Most Needs to Protect.”

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