Fern5827
October 25th 03, 06:10 PM
FWD:
Subject: More on Guatamalan baby case in Alabama
From: "Marley Greiner"
Date: 10/22/2003 1:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: >
More absolutely incredible crap from Alabama:
While removing a child from his home without permission could be considered
kidnapping, an agency spokesman said welfare officials had made no attempt
to identify the two women who took Javier and had not tried to find out if
the child was taken from his mother legally.
The department also did not notify any law enforcement officials about the
baby's removal, said Mike Gibson, a Human Resources spokesman in Montgomery.
"Our job is to investigate child abuse and neglect," Gibson said. "If it was
kidnapping, that's not our responsibility. That's the police's job."
Read the whole story below:
Marley
Official: Removal of baby from Guatemalan mother unauthorized
http://adoption.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.tuscaloos
anews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID=/20031020/APN/310200907%26cachetime=5
The Associated Press
October 20, 2003
Limestone County's welfare director said two women who took a Guatemalan
infant from his teenaged mother did so without authorization but are still
"angels."
The comments by Caroline Page were reported Monday as a spokesman for the
state Department of Human Resources said the agency did not know who removed
11-month-old Javier Alonzo from his home and did not care.
Page, director of the county's Department of Human Resources, told The
Decatur Daily that the two women who first took Marta Alonzo's baby did not
have permission from an agency or a court. The young mother also wasn't told
what was going on in her native language.
Hispanic advocates and friends and relatives of Alonzo contend the treatment
violated the rights of Alonzo, who wants her baby back.
The two women took the boy to Athens-Limestone Hospital, where he was
treated for scabies, an itchy skin condition caused by mites. The hospital
notified Human Resources, which has since placed the mother and child in
separate foster care homes.
A physician who befriended the mother and cared for Javier has said the boy
is in good health and showed no signs of abuse or neglect.
Page said she had no personal knowledge of who took Javier, then about 4
months old, from his home in February while his mother was at work and he
was in his cousin's care.
"They were not with DHR," Page said, "but they were angels."
While removing a child from his home without permission could be considered
kidnapping, an agency spokesman said welfare officials had made no attempt
to identify the two women who took Javier and had not tried to find out if
the child was taken from his mother legally.
The department also did not notify any law enforcement officials about the
baby's removal, said Mike Gibson, a Human Resources spokesman in Montgomery.
"Our job is to investigate child abuse and neglect," Gibson said. "If it was
kidnapping, that's not our responsibility. That's the police's job."
Hospital spokeswoman Gina Hanserd referred questions to its attorney,
Winston Legge. Legge did not immediately return a telephone call seeking
comment.
Page said she did not know if Alonzo, who says she is 17, could press
charges against the women who took her son. "I think they would fall under
the Good Samaritan exemption," she said.
The state's Good Samaritan law protects those who provide first aid or
emergency care at the scene of an accident, mass casualty or disaster, or
who are trying to allay the effects of hazardous materials or oil spills.
State law also gives a list of agencies and people - ranging from hospitals
to doctors to teachers to social workers and day-care workers - who are
required to report suspected child abuse or neglect. A law enforcement
officer, for example, can take a child to protect the child's health or
safety.
While records show the state had planned to place Javier up for adoption,
Gibson said the state is now trying to locate a Spanish-speaking family to
care for him and his mother.
Alonzo's native language is K'iche' Maya, an indigenous Guatemalan language,
but Gibson said she is fluent in Spanish, contrary to the accounts of
others.
Helen Rivas, a Hispanic advocate in Birmingham, said Alonzo has only limited
understanding of Spanish. Alonzo was not informed of her rights in her
native language after the baby's removal and had only limited understanding
of what was going on, Rivas said.
DESCRIPTORS; CPS, CHILD PROTECTIVE, ADOPTION, FOSTER CARE, KINSHIP CARE,
IMMIGRATION, BLACK MARKET
Subject: More on Guatamalan baby case in Alabama
From: "Marley Greiner"
Date: 10/22/2003 1:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: >
More absolutely incredible crap from Alabama:
While removing a child from his home without permission could be considered
kidnapping, an agency spokesman said welfare officials had made no attempt
to identify the two women who took Javier and had not tried to find out if
the child was taken from his mother legally.
The department also did not notify any law enforcement officials about the
baby's removal, said Mike Gibson, a Human Resources spokesman in Montgomery.
"Our job is to investigate child abuse and neglect," Gibson said. "If it was
kidnapping, that's not our responsibility. That's the police's job."
Read the whole story below:
Marley
Official: Removal of baby from Guatemalan mother unauthorized
http://adoption.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.tuscaloos
anews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID=/20031020/APN/310200907%26cachetime=5
The Associated Press
October 20, 2003
Limestone County's welfare director said two women who took a Guatemalan
infant from his teenaged mother did so without authorization but are still
"angels."
The comments by Caroline Page were reported Monday as a spokesman for the
state Department of Human Resources said the agency did not know who removed
11-month-old Javier Alonzo from his home and did not care.
Page, director of the county's Department of Human Resources, told The
Decatur Daily that the two women who first took Marta Alonzo's baby did not
have permission from an agency or a court. The young mother also wasn't told
what was going on in her native language.
Hispanic advocates and friends and relatives of Alonzo contend the treatment
violated the rights of Alonzo, who wants her baby back.
The two women took the boy to Athens-Limestone Hospital, where he was
treated for scabies, an itchy skin condition caused by mites. The hospital
notified Human Resources, which has since placed the mother and child in
separate foster care homes.
A physician who befriended the mother and cared for Javier has said the boy
is in good health and showed no signs of abuse or neglect.
Page said she had no personal knowledge of who took Javier, then about 4
months old, from his home in February while his mother was at work and he
was in his cousin's care.
"They were not with DHR," Page said, "but they were angels."
While removing a child from his home without permission could be considered
kidnapping, an agency spokesman said welfare officials had made no attempt
to identify the two women who took Javier and had not tried to find out if
the child was taken from his mother legally.
The department also did not notify any law enforcement officials about the
baby's removal, said Mike Gibson, a Human Resources spokesman in Montgomery.
"Our job is to investigate child abuse and neglect," Gibson said. "If it was
kidnapping, that's not our responsibility. That's the police's job."
Hospital spokeswoman Gina Hanserd referred questions to its attorney,
Winston Legge. Legge did not immediately return a telephone call seeking
comment.
Page said she did not know if Alonzo, who says she is 17, could press
charges against the women who took her son. "I think they would fall under
the Good Samaritan exemption," she said.
The state's Good Samaritan law protects those who provide first aid or
emergency care at the scene of an accident, mass casualty or disaster, or
who are trying to allay the effects of hazardous materials or oil spills.
State law also gives a list of agencies and people - ranging from hospitals
to doctors to teachers to social workers and day-care workers - who are
required to report suspected child abuse or neglect. A law enforcement
officer, for example, can take a child to protect the child's health or
safety.
While records show the state had planned to place Javier up for adoption,
Gibson said the state is now trying to locate a Spanish-speaking family to
care for him and his mother.
Alonzo's native language is K'iche' Maya, an indigenous Guatemalan language,
but Gibson said she is fluent in Spanish, contrary to the accounts of
others.
Helen Rivas, a Hispanic advocate in Birmingham, said Alonzo has only limited
understanding of Spanish. Alonzo was not informed of her rights in her
native language after the baby's removal and had only limited understanding
of what was going on, Rivas said.
DESCRIPTORS; CPS, CHILD PROTECTIVE, ADOPTION, FOSTER CARE, KINSHIP CARE,
IMMIGRATION, BLACK MARKET