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The two children of a Florida man who stabbed his entire family in a Deerfield Beach RV park earlier this month were allowed to return to him and his wife despite a troubled history, according to the Department of Children and Families.
There wasn't enough evidence to meet the "very high burden of proof" required to permanently remove the children from their parents, Joe Follick, the DCF's communications director, told NBC 6 in Miami on Wednesday.
In February 2008, William DeJesus’ wife, Deanna Beauchamp, told authorities that they both had been molesting their two sons, newly released DCF documents show.
"When the mother made allegations of sexual abuse, we immediately asked for permanent removal of the children from the family. She recanted," Follick said.
He said the agency had no physical evidence, and it was difficult to get clear statements from the two children, including the older son, who barely spoke.
Read 'Monster Jackson' story, see video on NBCMiami.com
"The mother had already recanted and said she had made up the allegations, and this made it very difficult to go to a judge and get the children permanently removed," Follick said. "It’s hard. It’s tragic. There’s nobody at this department who is not committed to protecting the children."
The DeJesus case hurts not only the people working on it, "but it hurts everybody at this department," he said.
On the night of Feb. 9, DeJesus, of Port Orange, drove his family into the Highland Woods RV park in Deerfield Beach, where he shot a Canadian man twice, killing him, before he went into the man’s home and ultimately stabbed his wife, his sons and himself, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office. His standoff with a SWAT team lasted six hours.
Beauchamp, 37, and their 7-year-old son survived and are recovering, and DeJesus, 41, and their 9-year-old son died.
Hundreds of pages of documents the DCF released on the case Wednesday reveal that DeJesus was previously accused of stabbing and assaulting his wife, and that his youngest son called him “Monster Jackson.”
'Monster Jackson is going to kill me'
In an Aug. 6, 2009 report, a foster mother told a DCF representative that the younger son kept saying, "Monster Jackson is going to kill me and he’s coming back to get you." But when the representative asked "who is Monster Jackson?" the child demurred, smiling and saying, "I don’t know," according to the report.
In 2008, Beauchamp "reported a history of domestic violence with the children's father for the last eight years," investigators wrote, and said that she was forced to sexually abuse them, fearing that DeJesus "would kill her if she did not fondle the children" with him.
DeJesus was barred from contact with his ex-wife and children in New York, according to the file.
A July 2009 case note said that the DCF required "clear and convincing evidence" that DeJesus and Beauchamp were unfit parents. Asked about that, Follick said, "This was a damaged family doing damaged things. The father by all evidence was damaging his family."
But, he noted, "You have to be very, very sure when you’re going to, as a state agency, remove children from a family permanently. And you have to convince a judge. And these children had been out of the house for a year and a half."
During that time, the parents had been evaluated, done anger management and domestic violence classes, and received therapy.
"After a year and a half of the parents making these efforts, no judge was going to say these children can’t go back," Follick said.
He said the sons moved back in with their parents in mid-2010. A community partner of the DCF followed up, and after that six-month follow-up period ended in December 2010, DeJesus and Beauchamp had no more involvement with the DCF, Follick said.
In another horrific child abuse case a year ago, two other siblings were found after being tortured by their adoptive parents after falling through the cracks of the foster care system, authorities said. Nubia Barahona, 10, was found in a trash bag in the back of her adoptive father’s pickup truck after being beaten to death, and her twin brother Victor was found barely alive with chemical burns all over his body.
Since then the DCF has made changes that have included hiring 100 more child protective investigators, including many in Miami-Dade County, said Follick, who added that the agency intends to hire more to further reduce caseloads. If the Legislature approves a bill under consideration, investigators would be paid more, he added.
The agency is also striving to ensure that if a school has expressed concern about a family, or there has been police involvement, that information is shared right away with an investigator, Follick said.
On a broader level, the DCF is also reworking how it treats domestic violence cases. Besides more training, it is emphasizing that case workers and law enforcement and people involved in a given case communicate better with each other and not work in a silo, said Follick. He described it as “having a group of people helping a family rather than having 10 well-intended people helping a family separately.”
"We are trying to show a lot more patience and thought when we approach a family where domestic violence is occurring," he said.
Follick said that any time a child dies, the DCF reviews it, but it is too early to tell "what shape that is going to take" with the DeJesus case. A panel is one possibility.
The case has been a nonstop topic of discussion for hundreds of people at the agency the past two weeks, he said.
"Our focus is on this child’s near-term and long-term needs," he said of the surviving brother.
Read the full DeJesus case files released by the Department of Children and Families here.
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We will see these children in a "body bag" or literally a menace to society as young adults!!!
CPS is understaffed and overworked, and its workers are underpaid. Unfortunately, they must check out every report, including those filed by angry ex-spouses who simply want to cause trouble for the ex who was granted custody of the children. Also, the ultimate decision as to whether the children should be removed from their parent/parents is up to a judge. We read about these tragedies, but seldom read about the number of children whose well-being, and perhaps their lives, were saved by CPS investigators.
May those children rest in peace!
Hey man parents are like pizzaz some are better than others. We cant all be the same because we are just people.
After reading this article, i'm really confused. is the father dead or not? He shot and killed a canadian man but didn't go to prison? Can anyone clarify for me?
One more reason among many to teach sex ed in schools and provide free contraception to all. So much better in the long run by doing this. Now don't get me wrong it is not an end all be all but at least it will help the situation.
Otherwise sad to see our system is broken to a point that allows this to happen. We can and should do better.
It is time
Well what happened is the state of lovely Florida ran out of money after selling tickets to his trial like they did when they netted the 6 million dollars from the Casey Anthony trial and numerous other venues.
It's all a game down there and I am so glad I dont live in a state that shoots first and asks questions later.
That's what i'm talking about give them back to him so he can finish what he started. Then after he has abused and/or killed them file charge against the judge and all who were responsible for allowing this to happen. The buck has to start and stop somewhere and it should be with those who are allowed to make these decisions. Then execute this man as is what should have been done in the first place. I have an idea why don't all the liberals allow him to come and live with them for a few months.
things like this happen more and more when a country wastes it's money on wars or whatever.... these DCF case workers have houndreds of cases on their desks at all times..... maybe if dade county spent less on witch hunting illegal snakes... maybe there would of been more money towards the DCF.... as well as the rest of the country.... we as a nation wastes so much money on useless things.... then cries when things like this happens... look around... how many fire stations and schools are closing.... yet $500 million for a failing solar company?... i live in fl i see wasted money all the time.... how much have we spent on the Magic's arena's compared to the DCF.... we as a community should try to look out for eachother more and not rely on things to happen themselves..... or have Obama in his super prez outfit come save you and get your car out of the ditch (3yrs later and our car is still in the ditch).... prioritize basically is the message.... people with demons are sick and must be dealt with accordingly... i really hate when children are the victims for so many reasons... it takes a monster to do this
Just another great example of our blood-sucking public employees doing their usual fine job for ridiculously high pay and benefits. WE can get rid of at least half of them and not even notice a difference. Lets start with NOBAMA, the most worthless of them all and their king. He can go organize a community.
someone please clarify. are both kids alive? i wish i wasn't so confused.
Negative. The older boy (9) and the father died. The mother (unfortunately) and the 7 year old are alive and recovering.
I guess the next article on this subject will be that they are all dead and then the agency can claim they did all they could.
I think Charles Bronson had it right - just become a vigilante and TCB as no one else, including our liberal court system, will do it for you. Welcome to the wonderful cesspool known as So. FL !!!
This is too sick!! WTF is wrong with our system here in America??? Do people really care for the safety and well-being of our children? I wish that I could rescue children of ALL races from this type of abuse!! I just want to cry!!
Abused kids, starving masses, religious massacres, discriminations run amuck--is there any reason we call ourselves civilized and fit to be rulers of this earth? God certainly is a failure for sure.
All the hated comments at the DCF workers. It's the Judges that return children back to parents. Its is the law of our land innocent till proven guilty. Cut the workers some slack, they did what they could do within the law. Look what happend with the Powell family, it was the Judge that allowed the visitation. Hold the Judges responsible and get the law changed for these children.
I live in Florida and although it's a great place to live for the beaches and weather, we have some of the worst folks in charge of it. These idiots elected a Gov with the largest Medicare Fraud case in US history. So yet another story of DFC turning kids over to a monster like this is not out of the blue. They don't pay those folks enough to live on, caseloads are way above normal, and way to many are lost in the shuffle. I doubt this is the last we hear about this case
Very poorly written story. the first paragraph makes it sound like the "monster" had his children returned to him after they had been stabbed.
Does anyone proof read this stuff before they post it?
I'm sorry but there is no way this agency can talk themselves out of fault on this one. They allowed these poor children to continually be abused for years and it cost them their lives. I've always hated the saying that "they were now in a better place" but in this case it has to be better than where they were. My pain for the children and anger at the agency are immense!
ARE YOU F$%)#)# kidding me. When something horrible happens its to late SHAME ON YOU FL DEPT. of CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.................. Hope you can sleep at night if something horrible happens to these children.
An admission of molesting their kids meets ANY standard of proof for removing the kids pernanently. The FL agency FAILED these kids-- just as child care agencies across the country are failing kids everyday!! The ultimate goal of ANY of these agencies should be to INSURE their safety!! If they dont have the guts to do it, then get people who do!
can i get his home location and house number
a future story in the makings. and then the question why?
Want to see real change? Stop the blaming/finger pointing and put your tax dollars to work. Lobby your lawmakers for law and statute changes. Are there bad state employees? Of course. There is good and bad in every company, sector and state. Most people are good law abiding citizens and workers. They want to do what is in the best interests of the child however they must also follow the current policies, statutes and laws. Most "state" workers are not paid well. When you think of workers that make a lot you are thinking of the governors or other high ranking positions. The "little" people doing the everyday work are not making a lot. Salary aside, high case loads especially when dealing with human life affect efficiency and quality. For those who work in human services the resources are not there to be proactive. Reactive is the only way to function.
The father was a sick scumbag that deserved execution but the one that really deserves to rot in hell is the mother that recanted. She had the chance to save those children and chose not to because of her selfishness. I have two sons and I would gladly lay down my life for them, and she sacrificed them because she was afraid her husband would kill her? I hope she can live with her selfishness as one of her kids is dead and the other will be scarred for life. And for the love of whomever don't let this woman breed anymore.
Wow, this is a horrific story. It sounds to me like there were a LOT of signs, especially that the oldest son, "rarely spoke". REALLY? A 9 year old that barely speaks - that SCREAMED abuse! Wake up DCF !!