It is only because you found the death of 4 year-old Eric Dean suspicious and dedicated yourself to reporting on the awful circumstances that killed him after 15 ignored reports of child abuse, that this volunteer CASA guardian ad-Litem has any hope for the thousands of other terrified and tortured children in need of child protection services today.
Working for decades with traumatized children, I’ve experienced the awful truth about the lasting impact of abuse on children and the lasting impact of abused children on our community.
Brandon, your efforts and insights into the inadequacies and failures of a system in need of transparency, accountability and media attention is why Governor Dayton called out the colossal failure of the system & created the task force that has brought significant change to an institution not given to criticism or outside influence.
It is not that social workers, foster & adoptive parents, teachers & others aren’t trying to do the best they can. Never blame them. The work is impossible and troubled institutions are never easy to work in or change.
The core problem is that people making laws and providing the resources to fix this have an inadequate understanding of the depth and scope of the problems facing 4th and 5th generation abused children and their families.
Because of this, child protection, juvenile justice & criminal justice institutions have become just one thing tied together with Prozac like drugs instead of adequate mental health services, jail, detention, parole and prison and thousands of social workers, teachers, families, justice and health workers trying desperately to fix broken children and their families without the tools they need.
Those tools and the resources simply can’t be there without public understanding and support.
Public support is a function of what the public knows and the public knows nothing unless a serious reporter reports it.
Babies and five year olds have no voice and no way for their torture and traumas to be known without an investigative reporter diligently covering their awful stories.
We miss you Brandon Stahl and we especially miss your superior journalism that brought serious public attention to child abuse and the critical changes that need to happen to keep children safe in our community.
Please remind your bosses that there are thousands of abused children in Minnesota that need a public platform to have their voices heard because they cannot tell their own sad stories.
Ps… the photo is of Gabriel Meyer, the 7 year-old Florida foster boy who hung himself and left a very articulate note about how he hated being forced to take Prozac.
PPs… I’ve always wondered if Kendrea Johnson hung herself because of psychotropic medications. So many of my very CASA guardian ad Litem children were forced to take those drugs. Many of them self- harmed and several attempted suicide.