Many parents are now suing the state of Florida for “kidnapping their children” through the State’s Foster Care Program, according to several reports. The defendants sued by over 20 families include “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families Shevaun Harris, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Health Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Bureau Chief of the Florida Department of Health Child Protection Team Patricia Armstrong, and Executive Director of the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program Attorney Dennis Moore”.
The lawsuit accuses employees of the state’s foster care system of fabricating false accusations of abuse, falsifying evidence, and hiding and withholding key information. Dozens of relatives of the children across four families also testified that the state’s foster care in Florida is also intentionally keeping the children away from them and giving them to people seeking children that are closely connected to the system or the government.
Among the four Florida families who filed a case against the state of Florida is the Williams. Taniyah and Rodney Williams are now suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and leaders of Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF), along with several other state foster care organizations for “conspiring” in a system that “legally kidnaps children”.
As reported by WPTV NewsChannel 5 in June last year, the Williams stated that their then-12-week-old daughter was taken by the workers of the state child welfare out of “suspicion” that their daughter was “being abused”. The Williams, however, denied this accusation and instead filed a countersuit against the mentioned officials. In the lawsuit, the parents explained that the caseworkers are instead “falsely” accusing them.
According to them, it all started in 2017 when their child’s leg pain needed medical attention. During these times, the Williams had to visit their daughter’s pediatrician and other doctors for various medical issues. And because of their child’s difficult condition, her experience became very traumatic. As the WPTV report stated:
“…the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, forcing doctors to break the baby’s clavicle during delivery to get her out, the complaint states. The baby’s birth also resulted in bruising, noted by the family’s pediatrician, court records show.
After the baby’s birth, the Williams’ made every doctor’s visit for their new daughter, the suit states. Mom had also been to the ER a few times over different issues with her daughter, including a respiratory infection. According to the 106-page complaint, the baby’s pediatrician never suspected abuse. In fact, he noted the baby has a form of brittle bone disease that made her bruise easily.”
Meanwhile, across Northeast Florida, there were 2,300 cases of child exploitation and human trafficking in 2022. Many believe that because of the rapid transformation of Florida, with some of the richest and most famous billionaires around the world moving to the state for residency, Florida is also becoming a haven for rich criminals involved in the widespread illegal sex trade and other human trafficking-related activities.
Recently, authorities from various state departments such as the FDLE, the Dept. of Homeland Security, the Tim Tebow Foundation, and law enforcement officials of different counties in Florida have decided to form a collaboration to effectively combat this very socially destructive criminal activity.
The alliance project is called the INTERCEPT Task Force; comprised of seven Northeast Florida law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels who are all dedicating full-time personnel to take a regional approach in attacking child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
References:
https://www.wflx.com/2023/01/12/florida-ranks-third-us-human-trafficking-cases/
