Has a disgruntled former partner accused you of child abuse? Were you charged with neglect of a child?
Sadly, false accusations and mistakes do happen. Sometimes Child Protective Services (CPS), a subdivision of the Minnesota Department for Human Services, removes children from safe and loving homes for no valid reason. Jumping to conclusions after one conversation or a single report can lead to poor decision-making by the organization. A recent case from Hennepin County shows how devastating an improper CPS intervention can be.
Innocent families sometimes end up targeted by CPS
The state removed an 11-year-old boy from his mother’s care for seven months. Somehow, CPS was able to obtain a court order to remove the child without much independent investigation. Instead, they relied on a medical report claiming medical abuse.
The child was born with severe medical conditions. A report from a doctor who had never even met him said that the mother intentionally misrepresented his conditions and subjected him to unnecessary medical procedures.
After the boy was taken by the state, he was not even allowed to speak with or visit his mother. The poor child spent seven months in foster care, until a court-ordered test confirmed that he had a medical need for his treatments. The child now struggles with emotional issues as a result of the incident and feels that the removal ruined his life.
Families deserve a solid defense
Loving parents wrongfully accused of abuse, neglect or even medical abuse, as in the recent, heartbreaking case discussed, deserve a strong defense. Tearing loving families apart creates trauma in places where there was none previously.
In some cases, bias could prevent those accused of abuse from receiving fair treatment and consideration. Protect yourself and your family in the event that you find yourself the focus of a CPS investigation.