Senator Calls Pattern of Abuse “Troubling”
Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R,C,I – 59th District), Chairman of the New York State Senate Social Services Committee, called on the commissioner of the New York State Office of Child and Family Services, Gladys Carrion, to use the full authority of her office to conduct an investigation into the events surrounding 10-year-old Abdifatah Mohamud’s beating death at the hands of his stepfather earlier this month in their family home in Buffalo.
“There is a pattern of abuse and dysfunction that this young boy was subjected to that can be traced back to at least 2009, including numerous incidents where local police were called to the home to investigate claims of domestic abuse,” Gallivan said.
Confidentiality laws shield many Child Protective Services’ records from public or governmental review, making it difficult to determine exactly where the system failed and what can be done to prevent a future incident of this nature from occurring.
“A full review will provide insight into why this happened, if and how it could have been prevented, if a an appropriate investigation took place, and which, if any reforms can be made to ensure that it never happens again,” the Senator said.
Gallivan also noted he is open to conducting a joint Senate Social Services Committee / Senate Children and Families Committee hearing once the investigation by of the Office of Child and Family Services is complete.
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Letter to OCFS Attached
