Miami-Dade Grand Jury Slams DCF In Barahona Death
MIAMI (CBS4) – A Miami-Dade County grand jury has released its final report in the disturbing Barahona child abuse and murder case.
In the 22-page final report, the grand jury urges the Department of Children and Families to adopt better training and investigative skills for employees in the aftermath of the horrific killing of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona, whose chemical-drenched body was found in the bed of her adoptive father's pick-up truck Feb. 14th along I-95 in West Palm Beach.
The jury's report said DCF must beef up its law enforcement training for investigators looking into child abuse allegations.
Read the Barahona Final Report here.
The report pointed out that DCF repeatedly missed red flags raised about the living condition of Nubia and her twin brother, Victor and that state child welfare workers failed to properly monitor adopted parents.
"The sad reality is if the Barahonas had been the biological parents of Victor and Nubia, a more thorough investigation probably would have been conducted following the various reports called into the Hotline," the report said.
The report also said DCF hotline counselors must learn how to properly classify cases so the most serious are investigated quickly.
The grand jury report makes 20 recommendations in all including child welfare workers have full access to databases containing reports of allegations about at-risk children. DCF came under fire after Nubia's death due to multiple warnings of abuse concerning Nubia and Victor including a report that the Jorge and Carmen Barahona kept the two children tied up in the bathroom of their West Miami-Dade home for months, beating and starving them.
The twins were adopted by the Barahonas in 2009 after living in their home since 2004.
Previously released documents revealed Jorge Barahona told authorities he believed the children tried to poison him by putting baby oil in his soda in the days leading up to the grisly discovery of the trio on the side of I-95.
Jorge and Carmen Barahona are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and neglect in the death of Nubia Barahona, and the torture of her twin brother Victor. Both have pleaded not guilty. They face the death penalty.
