The Girl in the Window

[remedy1]

The girl in the window

Lane DeGregory, Times Staff Writer

Published Thursday, July 31, 2008




PLANT CITY — The family had lived in the rundown rental house for almost three years when someone first saw a child's face in the window.

A little girl, pale, with dark eyes, lifted a dirty blanket above the broken glass and peered out, one neighbor remembered.

Everyone knew a woman lived in the house with her boyfriend and two adult sons. But they had never seen a child there, had never noticed anyone playing in the overgrown yard.

The girl looked young, 5 or 6, and thin. Too thin. Her cheeks seemed sunken; her eyes were lost.

The child stared into the square of sunlight, then slipped away.

Months went by. The face never reappeared.


Just before noon on July 13, 2005, a Plant City police car pulled up outside that shattered window. Two officers went into the house — and one stumbled back out.

Clutching his stomach, the rookie retched in the weeds.




(more)

http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2008/reports/danielle/

[SidneyCarton]

1. As the father of a daughter myself, all I can say is

:cry:

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

2. I don't have to read that to know it won't end well.

Shit.

[remedy1]

3. Read it if you believe there are angels among us...

Out of the most wretched circumstances comes triumph.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

4. and if you beleive there's a Hell...here it is...

sick.... just sick...

[hlthe2b]

6. Not a fairy tale ending, but very hopeful... DO, read it.

[hlthe2b]

5. My, God... what a riveting story...

How many more are there out there like this poor child? The adoptive parents are really really something. I wish them all the best.

[remedy1]

7. More about Dani here:

http://www.danisstory.org/

[hlthe2b]

8. Thanks for sharing.... I think she'll manage a good life...

Despite her earlier horror, the future looks hopeful for her thanks to those very special adoptive parents.

[remedy1]

10. Dani's story will be on Oprah today.

I don't usually watch Operah....but this is an incredible story.

[Chorophyll]

9. What an incredible story -- well worth reading.

The adoptive family astonishes me, especially the little boy.

[Jamastiene]

11. What I got from this story, other than tears and horror,

was that she now has hope. Hope is a powerful thing. Who knows? Maybe she'll do better than they expected. At least she is out of the horror, neglect, and abuse now.

I won't say anything about what I think of the child's biological mother though...it'll just piss people off.

[leftofthedial]

12. That is horrific.

Poor little girl. I have two daughters and I just can't imagine such neglect.

[omega minimo]

13. A good reminder for us all to be the one that makes that call.

3 months later "someone finally called" :wtf:

[Catherine Vincent]

14. My God. What a horrible situation that poor little child was in.

Thank goodness someone called and they pulled the child from that house. I don't care how proud you are, that mother should have asked for help.

[csziggy]

21. From the way she is depicted in that story, I wonder if the mother is incapable

Of understanding how to care for another human being and maybe herself. They say her IQ is 77. And I cannot imagine a normal adult allowing themselves to live in the conditions described. That is probably why she was not sent to prison - it would be a cruelty for someone that low functioning. But I wonder if the mother should not be institutionalized for her own sake.

Why the situation was left to fester - literally - for so long is not a surprise. Florida Department of Children & Families has long been notorious for their incompetency. Remember, Florida is where a child in foster care simply disappeared even though a social worker was supposedly checking on her on a regular basis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rilya_Wilson
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/16/national/main681025.shtml

[byronius]

15. I read the whole story. Just wow.

Both the best and the worst of the human being in that story.

I'm so glad she was finally rescued. I'm sure there are some who haven't been.

[distantearlywarning]

16. I can't believe that mother only got probation. I think she deserves life in prison.

And I can't believe child welfare was called twice about the situation and did nothing. The child welfare system in this country is completely fucked up. Seriously. :puke:

[myrna minx]

17. This just makes me weep. I'm so grateful that she is now in a loving home. n/t

[rvablue]

18. THIS IS ON OPRAH RIGHT NOW! N/T

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. K&R Thanks for posting.

[LanternWaste]

20. Against my better judgment I read the story...

Against my better judgment I read the story...

I worked for TX CPS (an organization two on DU said 'engaged in genocide' last summer) as a caseworker for three years in the nineties. Although I never worked a case this bad, I saw things bad enough to tempt me into leaving-- and I eventually gave into that temptation because I was not spiritually strong enough to see the results of what many parents call "child-rearing" time after time after time. One of the few decisions in my life that I feel guilt over.

I may just have to dust off the liquor bottle tonight to keep the dreams away. I'm glad this story had as good an ending as can be imagined... but there are so many more Dani's in this country that we don't know about.






(Oh... and to those two posters who denigrated TX CPS last year, there's a part of me that wants to allow you my sympathies and simply chalk up your ignorance to some trendy, dogmatic insistence that All Authority Is Bad (t-shirt available in stores near you). But the problem with that assumption is you're old enough to know better... :shrug: )

[lostnfound]

22. The dad's dream of big hands laced together holding Danielle like a swing

I loved that detail of the story. It must have given him quite a feeling..like a visit from Aslan.

I just finished reading the entire Chronicles of Narnia to my 7 year old. It's the first time for me to read it; really good stuff. Since you are a CS Lewis fan apparently, anything else to recommend?

[distantearlywarning]

23. If you don't agree with our viewpoints, and you think you know better

why not enlighten us instead of making snarky assumptions about our personal attributes? :shrug:

Please...explain to us how CPS could have investigated Dani's situation twice in the space of 7 years and not found enough evidence to bother doing something about it? The rest of us would love to hear the excuses.

It was Florida's CPS, by the way, not Texas (i.e., not a slam on you, although I realize that it's the sensitive poster behavior du jour on DU right now to assume any comment left by any other poster about any topic even marginally related to something about them is a personal insult specifically directed at them).

[LanternWaste]

25. TX CPS raid on the FLDS compound.

I was specifically referring to two posters concerning a number of threads last summer that were about the TX CPS raid on the FLDS compound last spring and summer.

So as you can see, I don't think I insulted anyone on this thread, nor did I make any snarky implications to upset anyone's most delicate of sensibilities. If you inferred that, it would appear to be on you... :shrug:

ed: clarity

[distantearlywarning]

26. My apologies

I thought you were referring to the criticism leveled against Florida CPS by another poster and I in this thread (there just happen to be two of us).

I know nothing about last year's flamewar re: the FLDS compound...

[Dead_Parrot]

24. Everyone failed her

No, I don't mean Dani - although they nearly all did, as should be self evident from the articles. No, I mean Michelle, who wasn't equipped to be a mother, but somehow it happened anyway - and it slipped through all the cracks.

Were was everyone when Bernie died of agent orange? Where was everyone when Grant had evident learning problems? Where was everyone when the family wound up bankrupt, then with no clothes, then with no furniture?

I'd have a fucking hard time dealing with that lot, and my IQ is a little higher than 77. Some of that may be spun out, but it wouldn't really suprise me - how much can someone like that spin a story? And even if it wasn't, what happened to everyone for the first 5 years?

Dani is in a hole, but it seems she's getting the best support she can to maybe - just maybe - get out of it. Apparently, her story is coming soon to a bookstore near me, so I'm guessing she's as sorted as she can be. Plus, it seems she's going on Oprah. More money than she can count - and yes, I deserve a good slapping for that.

Michelle is also in a hole, and will probably die in it. And whilst a lot of us will blame her for digging it, it is "us" that gave a stupid person a shovel and pointed to the ground.

Shit, I need a beer. Flame away.