MA - Jeremiah Oliver, 5, found deceased, Worcester, 14 Sept 2013 *Arrest in 2023*

[tlcya]

I think it was about this case that I read one of the social workers assigned to Jeremiah had complained to superiors that his or her case load was too heavy. (I'm really sorry but I can't remember where I read it ATM.) Jmo I would think that a complaint would take the form of "my case load is too heavy for me to give adequate attention to my duties." If so, then it seems like the actual case worker(s) were aware of their shortcomings and tried to address them. So yes we want to hold the right people responsible but jmo what good does it really do to fire someone for not doing his or her job, when s/he had already said that given the case load, s/he in fact couldn't do the job properly? Kwim? I don't know...I don't have all the facts so maybe I am way off base here. :truce:

While I did not read anything from the specific social worker assigned to follow the Oliver family, the union representative has issued a statement which references understaffing and an unreasonable case load. Perhaps that is where you read that?

DFC/CPS needs a complete overhaul IMO. First and foremost their "reunification" goals need serious looking at. Reunification and services for families struggling is lofty goal, but for those children being beaten who are left with or returned over and over to parents who are not fit pay the price for that lofty goal IMO. Unreasonable case loads are also a real concern IMO.

 

[scmom]

While I did not read anything from the specific social worker assigned to follow the Oliver family, the union representative has issued a statement which references understaffing and an unreasonable case load. Perhaps that is where you read that?

DFC/CPS needs a complete overhaul IMO. First and foremost their "reunification" goals need serious looking at. Reunification and services for families struggling is lofty goal, but for those children being beaten who are left with or returned over and over to parents who are not fit pay the price for that lofty goal IMO. Unreasonable case loads are also a real concern IMO.

BBM
I seriously question reunification being the primary goal when family and children's services become involved. The children are the least able to take care of themselves in our society and most needful of someone to take their best interest to heart. Why would reunification be more important than preserving a child's life?

 

[pieper4]

Yes, I read the same article (somewhere)... the SW submitted 2-4 grievances with the union or supervisors for her caseload exceeding the limit mandated (15-18, IIRC). That means for 2-4 months (sorry, I can't locate the article right now), red flags should have gone up. And nothing was done. The same article also indicated other cases the SW was unable to follow-up as required.
The system is a hot-bleeping-mess -- nationwide. Unfathomable how we cannot 'get it right' when it comes to kids who are *known* to be at risk. Let alone others not yet known because no file was opened (I'm referring here to AZ where over 2K cases were never even opened per recent reports).

 

[The Cheese]

KatieWBZ ‏@KatieKWBZ 28m
Mother, Boyfriend Due In Court In Missing Fitchburg Boy Case http://cbsloc.al/1a3nyql

Telegram & Gazette ‏@telegramdotcom
Gifts are gathered for siblings of missing Fitchburg boy http://worc.tg/1fzHrsQ

 

[The Cheese]

I'm the one who posted the news article about the social worker filing grievances. Should be in one of my posts in this thread. It's searchable because I posted the quote from the article.

ETA found it

Sources tell NECN the social worker assigned to the Jeremiah Oliver case complained to the Department of Children and Families that her workload was too high at least five times in the last eight months.

According to documents obtained by NECN, the social worker complained in May, June, July, August and September of 2013 that she had more cases than she efficiently manage.

The federally recommended caseload limits are 12-15, but according to union grievance reports filed with the state, the social workers highest caseload was 20.5 in May, 20 in September and, according to DCF, 18 in December -- by that time 5-year-old Jeremiah hadn't been seen by DCF staffers in six months or anyone else in 3 months.

State leaders say caseloads are no excuse for the social worker not seeing the child in six months, but the union representing social workers is urging officials to look beyond the finger-pointing and solve a systemic problem before more children get hurt.

http://www.necn.com/12/19/13/Social...burg/landing.html?blockID=860261&feedID=11106

 

[TxLady2]

Oh dear. So many questions in this case and not one answer. Where are you little Jeremiah? What happened to you and why did so many adults fail you? How did your disappearance go undetected this long? What a heartbreaking case, and so close to christmas. I hope this family and the public get some answers quickly. It's just unimaginable that his mother isn't helping LE, Definitely places suspicion on her involvement. I could have believed that the boyfriend was responsible and as she was also a victim of his abuse didn't have the courage to speak up (still reprehensible of course, but believable) But now he's in custody, she's safe from retribution and she should be talking. The fact she isn't speaks volumes. This is like Caylee all over again..

I agree with you, but I know there are women who have been so intimidated and browbeaten by men that they are unable, physically or mentally, to defend themselves or their children. They cannot leave the man, for whatever reason... lack of money and resources, no place to go, or no one to help them. I'm not saying this is the case in this situation, but she could be in a terrible mental state right now, for all we know. Mental illness is difficult to understand, even in the simplest situations.

Also, the mind can't jump from one phase to another overnight. It's going to take some time for her to feel secure enough to speak up, if she ever does. And indeed, she may not feel safe even knowing he is behind bars. IF she participated in this abuse of these children herself, then I have very little sympathy for her, but still... we don't know what her state of mind is, and this could be one of those complex cases where when the truth comes out, it's way more complicated than we think. JMO

 

[justanother]

Months and no one noticed, how sad. I hope they work out what happened to him and can lay him to rest. So glad that little girl spoke up, i truly hope her and her brother get a new start and can move on from all of this abuse and neglect. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to breed.

 

[The Cheese]

DCF collecting gifts, clothing for siblings of #missing Fitchburg boy #JeremiahOliver - Sentinel & Enterprise http://bit.ly/19ILJxC

 

[tlcya]

While I do not think it is ever okay for one person to beat another in a relationship, it is my strongly held opinion based on the news articles I have read, the previous cases DCF has on this family were initiated based on reports by a male child (possibly Jeremiah but name is redacted in the reports that were made public)

that ELSA OLIVER and not Alberto Sierra was abusing the children. Now Alberto may also have been an abusive element in the home and his abuse is what prompted Jeremiah's sister to report most recently, but to me it sounds as if Elsa has been abusing her children for a while now and was not simply failing to prevent her boyfriend from beating on her kids, but was actively engaging in that activity herself, possibly even before Alberto was in the picture or household.

 

[The Cheese]

Police seek info on mother's tattoo in case of missing Fitchburg boy

Local tattoo artists confirm that Fitchburg detectives are questioning them on who tattooed a butterfly, accompanied by the date Sept. 25, 2013, on Elsa Oliver, 28. The detectives are hoping she told a tattoo artist the significance of it.

Posted on the Facebook page PrayforJeremiahOliver is a notice asking any Massachusetts tattoo artist who created a butterfly tattoo on Elsa Oliver with the tattoo of the date 9-25-13 to call the Fitchburg Police Department.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20131223/NEWS/312239665/1116

 

[The Cheese]

Justin Michaels ‏@JMichaelsNews 54s
Elsa Oliver back in court on Fri. Jan. 10th, 2PM for competency hearing. @NECN #JeremiahOliver

Justin Michaels ‏@JMichaelsNews 2m
JUDGE: even if Elsa Oliver makes bail, still held w/out bail on contempt finding in Juvy court. @NECN #JeremiahOliver

George Barnes ‏@georgebarnestg 2m
Judge rules bail can be set for Elsa Oliver - sets $100,000 cash bail. Prosecution questioning decision at the bench

Alana Melanson ‏@AlanaMelanson 2m
Elsa Oliver held on $100k cash bail #Fitchburg. If makes bail, resolves mental health & contempt issue, must wear gps

Justin Michaels ‏@JMichaelsNews 54s
Court not convinced on dangerousness of Elsa Oliver. $100k cash bail set. Must wear GPS if bail met. @NECN #JeremiahOliver
from Fitchburg, MA Reply Classic RT Retweet Favorite More

Lana Jones ‏@Lanawbz 1m
Elsa oliver listens to her part of hearing from ante room. Court cannot say its convinced of dangerousness of miss oliver.

Nicole Oliverio ‏@NicoleOliverio 1m
Elsa Oliver's arraignment starting. She is also not showing her face. She underwent a mental health evaluation and is back in court #7news

George Barnes ‏@georgebarnestg 1m
Elsa Oliver kept from view of court

Justin Michaels ‏@JMichaelsNews 3m
Alberto Sierra is found to be dangerous by court. He poses risk to himself and others. Held w/out bail. @NECN #JeremiahOliver
from Fitchburg, MA Reply Classic RT Retweet Favorite More

Nicole Oliverio ‏@NicoleOliverio 3m
During dangerousness hearing, Court finds overwhelming evidence to hold Alberto Sierra without bail. #7news

George Barnes ‏@georgebarnestg 1m
Elsa Oliver presence waived for preliminary motion.

Nicole Oliverio ‏@NicoleOliverio 1m
Family of missing 5yo Jeremiah Oliver grunts when they hear Sierra isn't showing his face in court. He's charged w/abusing boy #7News

All below are Justin Michaels ‏@JMichaelsNews 53s

Alberto Sierra and Elsa Oliver are not present in courtroom, only attorneys.

Family of #JeremiahOliver in courtroom. Oliver's taking 3 rows. @NECN

In courtroom now for #JeremiahOliver related hearings. @MassStatePolice and @FitchburgPolice have huge presence in room. @NECN

 

[The Cheese]

George Barnes ‏@georgebarnestg 7m
Elsa Oliver's family and friends at court in Fitchburg not talking to press

John F. Hill ‏@johnfhill2 8m
Elsa Oliver's attorney says he hasn't been able to get any info out of his client. "No meaningful interaction"

John F. Hill ‏@johnfhill2 1m
Jeremiah Oliver's family angry outside court that Elsa Oliver was granted $100k bail. Sierra held without bail.

 

[Scanner]

Elsa Oliver, 28, was granted bail during a dangerousness hearing Tuesday morning in Fitchburg District Court. Her boyfriend, Alberto L. Sierra, 22, was held without bail.

A judge's decision to grant $100,000 bail to the mother of Jeremiah Oliver angered members of the missing Fitchburg boy's family.

More: http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/12/elsa_oliver_granted_bail_anger.html

 

[The Cheese]

Prosecutor says mother failed child in Fitchburg case
No effort to protect missing 5-year-old, judge is told

Prosecutors on Tuesday said the mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver “did nothing” to protect him and his siblings from abuse and had expressed frustration with state involvement with her family.

Two years of records from the state’s child welfare agency showed a “consistent, repeat pattern of neglect and abuse of the children in this case,” prosecutor Cheryl Riddle told a judge at a court hearing.

Elsa Oliver, who faces charges in connection with disappearance of Jeremiah, who is feared dead, had allowed her boyfriend, Alberto L. Sierra Jr., to abuse the children over at least the past six months, she said.

“She did nothing to protect the children,” she said. “Nothing to seek medical attention or get them help of any kind.”

The comments were made in a private sidebar, but Judge Margaret Guzman ruled that a transcript of the discussion be made public, shedding light on the high-profile case.

snip

According to Riddle, Oliver said over the summer that she was taking Jeremiah out of school because she was “sick of DCF.”

Sierra has indicated he is a member of the Latin Kings gang, she said.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Riddle requested a sidebar with the judge to contest Guzman’s decision to grant $100,000 cash bail for Oliver.

Guzman said she was not convinced that Oliver posed as high a risk as Sierra.

“After a review of the same records, the court cannot say that it has been convinced on the issue of dangerousness,” Guzman said. “It is clear that there is a disparity in the sense of the role of each individual.”

snip

Oliver, 28, is charged with being an accessory after the fact to the attacks on her children, and with two counts of reckless endangerment of a child.

Oliver is already being held without bail on a contempt charge in juvenile court, where she has been ordered to produce her son.

“There’s no release for her on that, until she resolves the contempt issues,” Guzman said.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...ithout-bail/iGwkVWzXbMoFTxkZVHnSbK/story.html

 

[Bodhi]

I think it was about this case that I read one of the social workers assigned to Jeremiah had complained to superiors that his or her case load was too heavy. (I'm really sorry but I can't remember where I read it ATM.) Jmo I would think that a complaint would take the form of "my case load is too heavy for me to give adequate attention to my duties." If so, then it seems like the actual case worker(s) were aware of their shortcomings and tried to address them. So yes we want to hold the right people responsible but jmo what good does it really do to fire someone for not doing his or her job, when s/he had already said that given the case load, s/he in fact couldn't do the job properly? Kwim? I don't know...I don't have all the facts so maybe I am way off base here. :truce:

I read that in MSM also. The union said the case worker made formal complaints IIRC on something like 6 occasions since last spring that her workload was too high.

ETA: I see The Cheese already provided the links above!

 

[JBinPHX]

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/in_fitchburg_angels_for_jeremiah_oliver

 

[tlcya]

Though the first report of abuse in the family came in 2011, the most recent trouble appeared to begin in May, when Elsa Oliver started a relationship with Sierra.

That month, staff at Reingold Elementary School called DCF officials to report that one of Elsa Oliver’s children complained of being beaten by her. DCF has not said how, if at all, it followed up on that report.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...r-boyfriend/Kr2pyZsJJc7lVZPy9Sa16I/story.html

 

[Helenstreet]

Why isn't this missing little boy on the front page? There is an active search going on for him.

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.co...ry-cuts-short-search-missing-fitchburg-5-year

 

[Helenstreet]

I didn't even know about his case until yesterday. Has Nancy Grace been covering Jeremiah's disappearance? BTW, little Jeremiah sure is a cutie!

 

[Helenstreet]

Yay, now Jeremiah is back on the front page where he belongs!