DSS Report on Abuse and Death of Jeremiah Swafford,2yr. Died 2/14/09

[nanabillie]

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-022009-mw-swafford_report.35e7312c.html
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DSS releases report on 2-year-old boy's death


04:33 PM EST on Friday, February 20, 2009

By NewsChannel 36 Staff
E-mail Us: NEWS@WCNC.com (news@wcnc.com)


http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/M_IMAGE.11f5fb26346.93.88.fa.d0.1f8b5db7.jpg
Jeremiah Ray Swafford


SHELBY, N.C. -- The Cleveland County Department of Social Services has released a report detailing its investigation of abuse allegations involving Jeremiah Swafford, the 2-year-old boy who died Saturday of suspected child abuse.
Swafford's family members told NewsChannel 36 they contacted DSS before the boy died, alleging abuse in the home, but nothing was done.
In the report released on Friday, the department "specifically denies the recent reports of family members that they have made multiple reports of abuse or requests for assistance regarding Jeremiah Swafford."
Also Online
http://www.dallasnews.com/images/ice3/icons/links.gif Full Report:
• Read the full DSS report on Jeremiah Swafford (http://www.wcnc.com/pdf/SwaffordReport.pdf)
http://www.dallasnews.com/images/ice3/icons/links.gif Related Stories:
• DSS alerted to possible abuse before toddler's death (http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-021409-mrn-2yroldkilled.188ce27c.html)
• Parents jailed for toddler's child abuse death (http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-021409-mrn-2yroldkilled1.206e8a4b.html)


The report details contact between DSS workers and the family in 2007 for below standard living conditions and substance abuse, but no reports of child abuse.
Swafford died of severe head trauma and other injuries that authorities say his mother, Kathy Lynn Swafford, and stepfather, Stacy Dwight Justice, inflicted on the boy. They are being held in jail without bond.
:1187603408.CR.Mothe

[TEXCIN]

How sad! I can't understand how anyone could hurt a child, especially one of their own. There was a recent case in Texas where a young woman "dropped" her 11 day old child who had to be put on life support. Just this week the child was taken off life support and died a few hours later. Unfortunately, a similar situation happened with her child that is now 2 years old; that child survived but has brain damage and is in the custody of a family member along with two other children. The mother was put in a psychiatric hospital so she will never be held accountable for her action and when she is released she will be free to have as many other children as she wants. It's hard to understand how these situations keep happening all over our country.

[grammybears]

This is so sad. What is worse to me is that it keeps happening over and over again. I do not understand how anyone can hurt a small child. What could a small child do to make an adult want to hurt such a small child. They are so innocent. Children are to be loved and cherished and should bring such joy to the parents in their lives. I just don't understand how anyone could do such a thing to a total innocent.

jmoo

[nanabillie]

I got so depressed last night. Everytime I would go to a news site to update a missing person, there was another child killed by someone that was supposed to love and protect them.