Bittersweet Justice: Philadelphia

“Two Lancaster County foster parents abused two children in their care, a jury decided Wednesday after a two-week civil trial in Philadelphia.

Between them, Wayne and Rosella Keeny of New Holland are liable for 25 percent of the $4.5 million verdict against them, Philly.com reported Friday.

The Defender Association of Philadelphia, which was supposed to act in an advocate role for the children, is liable for 55 percent of the sum, Philly.com reported, and Bethanna, which describes itself as a Christian organization providing foster-care services, is liable for the remaining 20 percent.

Over a period of more than three years, the children — a twin brother and sister — were allegedly taken into the basement of the Keenys’ Lancaster County home and beaten with hands or other objects while lying on top of a freezer, according to court documents.

They were removed from the Keenys’ home by a foster-agency worker in 2015, Philly.com reported.

The children, now 8 years old, had been removed from their mother’s home in Philadelphia because she no longer could care for them, the Legal Intelligencer reported Monday.

They are now in the care of their biological father, the Intelligencer reported.

According to court records, Wayne Keeny, now 61, was charged in 2016 with unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of a minor and two counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child. Rosella Keeny, 52, was charged with endangering the welfare of children.

Charges against them were later withdrawn, court records show.

According to the Legal Intelligencer, the biological father filed a suit alleging that the child advocacy unit of the Defender Association, which represented the children in court, didn’t act after discovering evidence of abuse, and that Bethanna failed to vet the Keenys properly as foster parents.

 

The Keenys’ attorney, Matthew Menges of Trinity Law in Lancaster, told LNP that his clients were “disappointed by the verdict.”

“The investigation determined that there was no abuse that occurred in the home,” he said, noting that the criminal charges were withdrawn.

“Essentially, there was no wrong doing found on their part,” Menges said. “They would say without question that the amount of the verdict was excessive.”

Keir Bradford-Grey, chief of the Defender Association, told Philly.com she will issue a statement on the case at a future date. The association said in court papers that it acted “at all times within the applicable standards of professional care.”

An attorney for Bethanna told the Legal Intelligencer that the agency had entered into a settlement before the verdict, but that the agency denied any negligence. Bethanna’s spokesman said the biological father’s accusations against the Keenys were investigated by the agency and were unfounded.”

New Holland couple ordered to pay more than $1M for alleged abuse of foster children over 3 years

[Lancaster Online 11/26/18 by Tom Knapp]