"The Custody Police" Child Caseworkers Silence an 'Abused' Girls Voice Share
This Article
By Joseph Snook
Investigative Reporter
Christi Maclaren (mother)
Medford, OR
- In Oct. of 2015, a four-year-old girl was taken from her mother, Christi
MacLaren, and placed in Sean Lenzo's custody - the girl's father. This
happened after Department of Human Services (DHS) Caseworker Cori McGovern
alleged that the mother had mentally abused the young girl, after the
mother reported she was told by her daughter that the young girl had
been abused by her father.
All it took was
confiscation of the father's digital equipment and a "passed"
a lie detector test eliminating sex abuse allegations before DHS Caseworker
McGovern switched gears and labeled the mother an abuser of her own
child. Only three questions were asked of the father to determine his
culpability. All three questions were provided by the child caseworker,
according to testimony. Keep in mind, polygraph tests are inadmissible
in court, yet they are relied upon heavily by government. The child
had reportedly made allegations of abuse against her father that initially
seemed sexual in nature, but could also have been described as abuse
without sexual intent. Abuse without sexual intent was never explored
before the child was taken from her mother according to testimony.
Nonetheless, Christi
has struggled to maintain, spending over one year seeing professionals
in her attempt to get her daughter back from an alleged "abuser"
who was given full custody by an "abusive child caseworker."
Christi sought and passed two mental health exams, concluding that she,
"is a satisfactory parent." Suddenly, the caseworker's claims
were shut down by professionals who have the ability to diagnose, unlike
the caseworker who had a one month training course before she started
ruining
families, wrongfully.
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(2)
Over one year later,
on January 19, 2017, Christi MacLaren and Sean Lenzo's first day of
trial to establish custody of their now six-year-old daughter ended
before many witnesses could testify - several of whom were experts who
had only good things to say about the mother. Instead of setting trial
for the necessary amount of time, Judge Grensky maintained there would
only be a one day trial, which did not happen. The problem with not
scheduling trial properly was that the case wasn't able to be continued
until several weeks later on Feb. 2, 2017. Because of the lengthy gap
between dates, Judge Grensky's actions showed that he didn't remember
necessary information, when he asked on multiple occasions, "who
is Gabe" (child's step-father), after having previously heard testimony
from him.
Just prior to the
second day of trial, another DHS investigation against the biological
father, Sean Lenzo was initiated by Senator Alan Olsen after having
met with several people concerned about this case. All allegations were
of abuse, not sexual in nature. Again, these forms of abuse were never
previously explored according to testimony.
Multiple people,
including the Father, and DHS Caseworkers Matthew Brody and Cori McGovern,
who were involved in the first investigation, testified that they were
aware of the "new case" against Lenzo. Lenzo himself testified
that the case would go nowhere, which mirrored the testimony of DHS's
McGovern. Keep in mind that the child was approached multiple times
by a new team of investigators, but she was unwilling to disclose information
because she is reported to fear going back home to her father after
the interviews. There have been allegations that the child was told
by her father that, "he would hurt her mother" if the daughter
says anything to authorities.
It is no secret
that the daughter desperately wants to live with her mother as multiple
experts have testified to this fact. This child is very smart for her
age, which was also testified to by multiple witnesses during the first
two days of trial.
Cori McGovern (DHS)
During the second
day of trial, Judge Grensky called the DHS Casworkers the "custody
police." Matthew Brody denied that claim, although Cori McGovern
previously made it very clear - she is just that. She's testified that
if the mother receives unsupervised visits with her daughter, that she
would seek to open a new case - threatening to take the child into DHS's
custody, regardless of how the Judge rules.
The experts, child
advocates, and caseworkers were finally able to conclude their testimony
on the second day of trial, yet there were important witnesses (maternal
grandparents and mother) who still had not testified. The only option
for the court was to schedule a third day of trial.
As the second day
of trial concluded, Judge Grensky chastised the attorney's on the record
and demanded the final day of trial would follow the very next day.
He told them he did not care what was on their schedule - they would
clear it and be in court the following morning. The next day came with
a big surprise to all - Judge Grensky canceled.
The maternal grandparents
attorney and the mothers attorney were reportedly able to clear their
schedule so that the trial could conclude in a timely manner. The father's
attorney, Jamie Hazlett, reportedly was not available until May of 2017
- nearly three months later!
Pushing the case
further out, Judge Grensky allowed an emergency status hearing for Feb.
21, 2017, another nineteen days later, just to establish a date for
the last day of trial.
This case has now
dragged on for a nearly a year-and-a-half in Judge Grensky's court.
The three day trial could stretch into four months if the biological
fathers' attorney has her way with Judge Grensky.
Sean Lenzo (biological father)
Is this not an egregious
abuse of authority? One thing is certain; as of the date of this article,
this young child still resides with the very person she initially told
others she did not want to be with - the very person who she has accused
of abuse, multiple times.
Why wouldn't DHS
at the very least remove this child from the father and put her in a
neutral, safe place to allow her the time she needs to come forward
and support or deny the serious allegations?
If you're able,
you can show up at court to support her - Christi had about 15 supporters
at the last hearing. The next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 21st at
1:30 pm @ the Jackson Co. Courthouse.
Editor’s
Note: In this case the Department of Human Services, acting on numerous
complaints at the state level, finally took the Medford, Oregon DHS
Office off this case and instructed the Klamath Falls, Oregon Office
to open a new investigation. The new caseworker has reportedly tried
to speak with this young “abused” girl on more than one
occasion with no disclosure. Why would they expect anything else?
Insanity might
be the right word! To expect a child to disclose any type of abuse after
she has named the abuser and described his abuse to numerous people,
including professionals, and then finds herself placed back into the
custody of the very person who allegedly abused her repeatedly is indeed
insanity.
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