Chapter 12 - Child welfare does not care that I am feared
Child welfare investigator Julia Ames visited the mansion.
She looked inside refrigerator.
Eira’s room.
Kitchen.
Dining room.
Locks.
Staff schedules.
Security arrangements.
She interviewed:
Maria.
Caleb.
Jonah.
Preschool staff.
Me.
Then asked:
“Why were you gone eleven days?”
“Work.”
“Who had legal caregiving authority?”
“I did. Belladonna had practical household authority and emergency permissions.”
“Did you verify how she was caring for Eira?”
“No.”
There.
My failure.
I called nightly.
Sometimes video.
Belladonna controlled timing.
Eira often appeared tired.
I assumed bedtime.
One night Eira said:
“I don’t like dinner.”
I laughed.
“Eat a little.”
I had helped normalize something I did not understand.
Julia asked:
“Were there signs?”
“Yes.”
“Did you recognize them?”
“No.”
Then my security culture.
Too many people assumed Belladonna spoke for me.
Why?
I had allowed it.
I made my authority so broad that staff learned not to question the person I designated.
A household built around obedience had failed a four-year-old.
That was not only Belladonna’s lesson.
It was mine.
Child-welfare finding:
Belladonna responsible for inappropriate confinement, food restriction, emotionally harmful fear-conditioning.
No severe malnutrition finding.
No chronic physical-abuse finding.
Against me:
No abuse finding.
But safety concern regarding inadequate oversight and delegation to a nonparent.
Recommended:
No Belladonna contact with Eira pending court/therapy.
Independent caregiver plan.
Child-focused therapy.
Review of household security practices.
I accepted all.
May you like
No “I’m Benedict Costello, you can’t inspect my refrigerator.”
Power had already protected the wrong adult once.
