In memory of Aiyana, never
again
October 27, 2006
In the 19 months since the brutal
death of Aiyana Gauvin, we have been saddened, outraged and
horrified.
We've also been rejuvenated,
inspired and dedicated, working to make sure such a death never
occurs again in our community.
The news that day in March 2005
drew collective gasps and questions of "How?" and "Why?"
In time, we learned the horrible
truth. And the truth indicates that the despicable physical and
emotional abuse had been occurring for some time.
We also now know that Aiyana was
caught, alone, in a dreadful perfect storm -- controlling and
violent parental figures, an overburdened child welfare system and a
reprehensible error in judgment by a sheriff's deputy.
On Thursday, Judge Thomas Busch
sentenced Michelle Gauvin to life in prison for the murder,
confinement and neglect of her stepdaughter. The course of justice
is now moving from Aiyana's stepmother to her father, Christian
Gauvin.
Moving swiftly as well is the
effort to improve our ability to identify and stop abuse cases
before they become murder investigations. Since the death of Aiyana:
Volunteers have stepped up,
helping at-risk children and brainstorming other solutions.
The number of caseworkers has
dramatically increased, thanks to state funding.
Tippecanoe County juvenile court
-- the most overburdened in Indiana -- received funding for a
juvenile magistrate to assist Judge Loretta Rush.
Those efforts are only a start.
In the aftermath of Aiyana, there
has been an increase in reports of potential child abuse and
neglect. A hearty "thank you" to those people who have taken the
initiative to stop the potential abuse.
But the renewed awareness has taken
a toll. The local branch of the Indiana Department of Child Services
has seen an enormous rise in cases.
When local director Angela Smith
Grossman was putting together her budget for 2006, the department
was helping about 250 children. That figure has increased to 430.
Grossman's department needs funding
to continue to keep the extra caseworkers' workload at a manageable
level. If not, how long will it be before another Aiyana slips
through the cracks?
The Tippecanoe County Council has
discussed raising property taxes to help supplement the department,
which is on pace to have very little money to spend at the start of
2007.
As talks turn to the funding of a
much-needed program, there will be concerns raised about saddling
property taxpayers with an additional burden.
We're not endorsing an annual blank
check. In time, proper funding, well-trained caseworkers and the
anticipated reduction in such crimes should help create a stronger
and more efficient child services department.
As always, a measure of efficiency
along with effectiveness should be demanded from every department in
government.
The bottom line is that we must
remain steadfast to protect our children with a strong child welfare
system. One that continues to grow, learning from the mistakes that
ended the young life of Aiyana Gauvin.
Never again.
