How Could You? Hall of Shame-Shirley Verneus UPDATED
This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.
From Queens,New York, foster mother Shirley Verneus, 35 “was arrested for scalding a 19-month-old boy with boiling water until his skin peeled off, prosecutors said Wednesday.”
She “was charged with assault for the disturbing incident in a tub at her St. Albans home.
“The child will be permanently scarred — both physically and emotionally — by the experience,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
The alleged abuse came to light when Verneus brought little Jaurelious Green for a meeting with his biological parents at the St. Christopher Ottile Foster Agency on Jan. 17. A case worker saw bandages on the boy’s legs and asked what happened.
The foster mom replied that she had left the toddler unattended in the bathtub with a 3-year-old two days earlier, court papers said.
She heard screams, then saw him in the tub with the water running and “observed the complainant’s skin peeling off,” according to the criminal complaint.
While Verneus claimed that she took the child to a clinic, she couldn’t show any record proving that, nor did she report the injuries to the foster agency, according to prosecutors.
And a doctor told investigators the second- and third-degree burns “from the top of his thighs down to the soles of his feet on both legs” and on his buttocks were more than a week old, the complaint said.
Jaurelious had to undergo surgeries and the delayed medical care exposed him to the risk of infections and other complications.
After an investigation, the foster mother was arrested and arraigned Tuesday night for first-degree assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.
Verneus was ordered held on a $100,000 bond. She faces as much as 25 years in prison if convicted.
She’s due back in court June 16.
Her lawyer didn’t return a call for comment.
Prosecutors could not say who is currently caring for Jaurelious or whether Verneus was fostering other children.
A spokesman for the Administration for Children’s Services did not immediately comment on the specifics of the case.”
[NY Daily News 6/5/14 by Oren Yaniv]
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Update:“A New York City woman has been convicted on assault charges after prosecutors say she left her 19-month-old foster son sitting in scalding water and then didn’t seek medical attention.Queens prosecutors say 35-year-old Shirley Verneus, of St. Albans, was found guilty Tuesday.
Authorities allege she left the young boy alone to sit in scalding water in January 2014.
Prosecutors say the boy was taken to a hospital more than a week later after a caseworker noticed bandages on his legs during a visit with the child’s biological parents at the foster care agency.
Doctors said he would suffer permanent scarring and needed physical therapy.
Verneus faces up to 25 years in prison when she is sentenced next month. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
Foster parent guilty of assault after 19-month-old burned [Hastings Tribune 3/30/16 by AP]
Update 2:”A Queens foster mom has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of assault when her 19-month-old foster son was found severely burned on his lower body.
According to District Attorney Richard Brown, 37-year-old Shirley Verneus, of St. Albans section of Queens, brought her foster, Jaurelious Green, to the St. Christopher Ottile Foster Agency in Queens, on January 17, 2014, for a scheduled visit with his biological parents.
During the visit, a St. Christopher caseworker observed bandages around the child’s legs and asked Verneus what had happened to the child.
Verneus, the child’s sole caretaker, claimed that she was in another room inside her St. Albans home and heard the child, who was in the bathroom unattended with a three-year-old, screaming.
The foster mother told the caseworker that she saw Jaurelious sitting in the bathtub with the water running and that when she removed the child from the tub, his skin peeling off.
Verneus then told the caseworker that she took Jaurelious to a medical clinic but she could not provide any information or documentation regarding such a visit nor did she report the injury to the foster care agency, officials say.
The child was later taken to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Burn Unit, where medical personnel said Jaurelious suffered second- and third-degree burns from the top of his thighs down to the soles of his feet on both legs and burns on his buttocks.
A further examination revealed Jaurelious will suffer severe permanent scarring and will likely require plastic surgery to alleviate some of the damage caused by the burns.
Medical evidence proved the foster mother failed to seek prompt medical attention for more than a week which caused the potential for life-threatening infections and other serious complications.
Verneus was convicted in March of first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.”
Queens foster mom sentenced to 13 years in prison for scalding toddler [Pix 11 4/27/16 by Andrea Cavallier]
Recent Comments