Death of 8-year-old Sophia Mason must be independently examined

Sophia Mason, the 8-year-old lady whose 55-pound physique was discovered decomposing in a bath final 12 months, is likely to be alive as we speak if Alameda County social employees had not dismissed the hazard the kid was in.

Data and reporting by this information group over the previous 12 months present that social employees ignored a minimum of eight separate warnings within the 15 months earlier than Sophia’s loss of life that she was being abused and at risk. However nobody within the county has been publicly held accountable. Nobody.

Not the social employees who dismissed warning indicators. Not Michelle Love, head of the Division of Kids and Household Companies; Andrea Ford, director of the county’s Social Companies Company; nor County Administrator Susan Muranishi.

And never the elected Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors Nate Miley and David Haubert final 12 months promised an investigation of Sophia’s loss of life, however nothing occurred.

The stonewalling has gone on too lengthy. The board should rent an unbiased exterior investigator to determine how the county missed so many warning indicators. The systemic issues should be recognized and rectified. And those that failed the lady, instantly or not directly, needs to be disciplined or fired.

There should be public accountability. And there should be penalties. Or there can be extra instances like that of Sophia Mason.

Warnings ignored

Sophia had been raised most of her life by her grandmother. However in January 2021, her mom, who had a historical past of drug abuse and prostitution, stepped again into the lady’s life and shortly took her to dwell in a motel.

It’s about that point that the county started receiving reviews of abuse. Paperwork later revealed that Sophia twice instructed social employees that her mom had choked and hit her. She additionally complained of being grabbed by her neck and muffled when she tried to scream.

The social employee accountable for the lady’s case deemed allegations of neglect by the mom to be “unfounded.” And he or she dominated allegations of bodily abuse as inconclusive.