Sadly this is an example of how the military does close ranks when it comes to one of their own. I know because I have seen it. This child should have been protected. It sounds like the father should not have ever been allowed to raise this child.
Here is the story and the link.
Mother of Slain Daughter Files Suit Against Government
By Ron Mizutani
The mother of a young girl allegedly beaten to death by her father has filed a lawsuit against the United States government. The suit claims the government failed to report suspicion of abuse to authorities. Tarshia Williams believes enough people knew Schofield Barracks soldier Naeem Williams and his wife Delilah were abusing her daughter.
Tarshia Williams describes the child she sees in pictures taken shortly before she was killed.
"She looked so sad and unhappy in this picture and I just knew something was going on," said Williams in an interview in 2005.
On July 16, 2005, Talia Williams was found in a blood-stained home at Wheeler Army Airfield.An autopsy revealed she died from "inflicted head trauma due to battered child syndrome." The attorney for the child and her birth mother says there was much evidence of abuse. A week before her death a chilling phone call between the girl's step-mother and a cousin.
"The step-mother reported that the father was brutally torturing and beating the child and in fact the cousin heard in the background the child screaming," said attorney Mark Davis.
The cousin anonymously called state authorities.
"The child protective services immediately started looking through their records and found no evidence of the a child by this name they couldn't track the child down," said Davis.
For seven months, Talia was under the care of her father Naeeem Williams, a Schofield soldier and his wife Delilah. In that time there were other reports of suspected abuse.
"We know that neighbors had called the police, we know that they had appeared at certain doctors appointments with suspicions of allegations of child abuse," said Davis "I think there were 3 or 4 incidents with the MPS where they were called out there."
State agencies were never contacted, although Davis says the father's commander was informed.
"It's not up to a commanding officer or military police to investigate child abuse," said Davis.
In the end, Talia suffered. According to court documents, Delilah Williams told police her husband spanked Talia with his belt for wetting herself. She said blood splattered throughout the home was caused by her husband whipping Talia with his belt on her back bursting open scars.
"It was certainly without any questions whatsoever enough to trigger their obligations to report this to the state agencies," said Davis.
Delilah Williams pled guilty to first degree murder in 2006. Naeem Williams faces two counts of first degree murder which could get him the death penalty.
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