BRIGHTON, Colo.—An Adams County judge is blaming social workers for the death of a toddler beaten by his mother’s boyfriend.
Judge Chris Melonakis (Mel-on-AH’-kis) excoriated the county’s human services department Thursday while sentencing the boyfriend, Donald Jean Scarlett, to 42 years in prison. He said the agency should be taken before a grand jury and that 21-month-old Matthew Harris was “failed to death” by authorities.
Social workers returned Michael and his 3-year-old brother to their mother weeks before Michael died in February 2011. The judge said there were reports that the older boy was injured, but the agency didn’t follow up.
The county disagrees with Melonakis and says his comments are unfortunate.
Michael was included in a Denver Post-KUSA-TV series on children in the social service system who died of abuse or neglect ().
———
Information from: The Denver Post,
