It made me so sad. 11 y/o girl dead.

When I first saw this story mentioned in a local newspaper I felt like crying. The more I've read, the more sad I've become. She wasn't from my region, but she lived probably no more than 150 miles away from me. She was Erin Maxwell, and she died August 29, 2008.

Her case is complicated. The police & the public have already convicted her parents and step-brother. But the evidence is not clear or strong. All I know is that all the adults in her life failed her. People in my region like to say that children are our most precious resource, that nothing is too great a burden or expense if it will protect children. Yet all the people who knew Erin, her extended family, neighbors, teachers, social workers, all of them were content enough to let someone else take responsibility for helping Erin. If I'd known her, I'd have done anything in my power to help her or died trying. I would have come out publicly as a pedosexual girl lover if that's what it took.

And when the public rage subsides what will we have? Well they're already talking about Erin's Law. Do we laugh, or do we cry? No law is going to compensate for people whose actions don't match their words. No law is going to compensate for people who are all too willing to let others do something about an 11 y/o girl living in squalor, locked in her room, underfed, and going to school in clothes smelling of cat urine. What will Erin's law do? Limit how many cats can live in one house? Limit how deep the cat feces is allow to accumulate on the floor of a child's house? Is this honoring Erin, or spitting on her grave?

I guess a few people at least made some effort, but not enough.

At least three people made complaints to the Oswego Department of Social Services on behalf of Erin -- in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

One was Jackie Siver, whose daughter befriended Erin. She said the conditions in the home were awful two years ago. She said the girl's odor was so bad that students used to throw soap at her and teachers would sometimes wash her clothes. Her daughter said Erin rummaged through cafeteria garbage looking for food.

It's nice that teachers washed her clothes, but why did they do that? Did that really help her, or just make the teachers feel better about themselves knowing that they weren't really doing anything to help her? I don't really know what to make of this case. But one thing I'm rather certain of is that Erin didn't have any real girl lovers in her life.

CNN Story:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/07/child.killed.charges.ap/index.html

Latest update:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/erin_maxwells_family_appears_i.html

Older story with picture of Erin:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/erin_maxwells_family_to_make_s.html

Story I quoted above:
http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2008/09/two_tragedies_erin_maxwells_de.html

The GVGL