Seven employees at a Florida agency that investigates child abuse have been disciplined for mishandling allegations of abuse involving a woman whose daughter’s body was found inside a freezer.
The Bradenton Herald reports the most severe punishment handed down to Manatee County Sheriff’s Child Protective Division employees was two days without pay.
Authorities say the body of 11-year-old Janiya Thomas was found Oct. 18 in a freezer that her mother had delivered to a relative’s house. After hearing reports that the child was missing, the freezer was opened and the body found.
Her mother, Keishanna Thomas, faces first-degree murder and other charges.
A state reported noted that child protective services investigators and partnering agencies for years failed to accurately assess the pattern of violence at the Thomas home.
