Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Author Roman Boed of Netherlands, Source Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
WARNING: Graphic Images
Most of us view hospitals as places of hope and healing. According to a federal lawsuit filed last week, Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital does not fit that bill [1A].
Damning Investigations
Investigations by both the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica confirm that children confined to Aurora were subjected to physical and/or sexual abuse there [1B].
Willful Ignorance
Child welfare officials at the Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services (DCFS) allegedly ignored the issues at Aurora due to a shortage of other psychiatric facilities willing to accept DCFS referrals.
Despite an increased number of complaints to the state’s child abuse hotline regarding Aurora, DCFS did not stop referring patients to that hospital until pressure was applied by watchdog groups and state legislators.
For those reasons, DCFS is, also, named in the suit.
Further Beaten and Molested
“It shocks the conscience that Illinois officials would treat our youth this way.”
-Public Guardian, Charles Golbert [1C]
The children and teens in the DCFS system are already victims of trauma or neglect. As such, they are among the most vulnerable of patients. At Aurora, these same children – some as young as 7, in DCFS custody for their protection – were further beaten and molested by staff and peers, or improperly medicated.
In the majority of cases, the lawsuit asserts, hospital staff were aware of the assailants’ history of violence but failed to take proper precautions. Reports are alleged to have been fabricated and video evidence destroyed to shield staff.
Depravity and Dysfunction
It is difficult to process this level of depravity and dysfunction. We expect more from our institutions, private or governmental. And we should.
Institutions are comprised of individuals – each equipped with a conscience, each accountable before God.
—
[1A, 1B, and 1C] Chicago Tribune, “ ‘Hospital of horrors’: Lawsuit says children were beaten and sexually abused at Uptown facility while in DCFS care” by Christy Gutowski, 12/18/19, https://www.chicagotribune.com/investigations/ct-chicago-lakeshore-hospital-dcfs-lawsuit-20191218-o5ix5japhjfunkqtr3wgdpjmoq-story.html.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com
ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse 
A Voice Reclaimed,
I apologize for not visiting, I will do better in 2020.
I have done 2 posts on this sick place.
I have noticed several posts I have to come back and support you on, keep up the great work, but most any stat you see is not near correct, for the simple fact that CPS (HHS) numbers have always been corrupt, and so it leads me to think that the rest just are afraid to make waves.
When I started 5 years and 4 months ago, for the longest everyone just thought I simply pulled a number out of my head, which is wrong, because I strive to make this world a better place for Our Children….
Also, the thing everyone says about the abused becomes the abuser, is incorrect, the original study done by CPS was corrupted.
I want to leave you 2 things this morning(besides what I have given already).
1 – Never, in the last 150 years, at the very least, has the number of Children who lost their lives to Child Maltreatment been 5, the number for the last 3 to 5 years is at least 10 – 13 a day, and most probably 15. (The GAO, government accountability office)
2 – CPS (HHS) states on their site that every Race’s stats are very near the same. When a Child is molested, over 80% of the time it is someone from their home, as in family, or someone known at home, such as neighbor, distant family, family friend.
WHICH IS A LIE, the above is correct with every race of people, with the exception of 2, Alaskan Native, and North American Native American.
There is one major difference, any time an Alaskan Native or North American Native American CHILD or WOMAN is molested, the perp is known less than 30% of the time. (I wanted you to know this one, it was an unexpected gift from one of #OurCircle s many Attorneys, and the site is the ABA site).
Please, keep up the great work,
Sincerely,
Robert
You are very kind to share these statistics.
Anna Waldherr, Thank You very much, it is very humbling to have you here and say this.
I want you to know that I was very.. um surprised by some of your posts, and that was just what I could think about in a very short time.
As I told you, more than just a few people thought I just made up numbers after only a short time of this. But what really caused more of a stir, was when I stated that women abuse Children at about a 13% higher rate, and I also added that a Father is the best at Parenting.
Today Ms Waldherr, I wish to leave you with something to think about.
The last several years there are about 686,000 calls for Child Maltreatment annually. However, this is incorrect, there are at least 3,300,000 calls annually, and this is less than 25% of the total instances of Child Maltreatment, and HHS (CPS ) whittles these down to 686,000 actual calls of Child Maltreatment, which is just a little over 20% of the total calls annually.
Now, remember I stated that 3,300,000 calls were received annually and this was thought to be less than 25% of the total number of actual cases of Child Maltreatment.
So, in all reality, this translates to 13,200,000 cases, at least, of Child Maltreatment yearly.
Ms Waldherr, now do you see what drives me to know all I can about all these stats that affect Our Children?
Thank You so much for coming, I ddo hope you will come again, you are always welcome.
Sincerely,
Robert
As you say, the numbers of abuse victims are staggering. Because abuse is an underreported crime, statistics do not tell the full story. Those of us concerned for the welfare of children must lobby for severe penalties, and better fund and oversee the agencies charged with caring for our children.
Unfortunately, what statistics there are — at least those of which I am aware — do not bear out your assertion that women are more frequently abusive than men or that men make “better” parents than women. Neither sex has a monopoly on abuse or good parenting, for that matter. A child deserves both a good mother and good father.
How very disturbing, saddening and deplorable that those statistics and incidents can really cause one to shudder in disgust if not disbelief! Sigh. . . . . . .
A sorely needed systemic reform has been much overdue!
Thank you, Anna and Blackhorn33! Happy New Year to both of you!
SoundEagle, you are very welcome, and Thank You so much!
As much as I dislike discouraging you, but I fear we are years too late to ever see any substantial change in Child Maltreatment laws, and the sentences handed down by our justice system, although I will never go quietly into the night.
I send all Good Things your way
Sincerely,
Robert
I can understand your frustration. Even saving a single life is, however, worth the effort.
Hi Robert (Blackhorn33),
Thank you for your edificatory reply and for sending all Good Things my way.
I would like to wish you and Anna a belated Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year with my very special, animated post containing some upbeat and heartfelt messages to share with you at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/season-greetings-from-soundeagle-merry-christmas-happy-new-year-and-joyful-holiday/
You are very kind. Since Christians ought to live the true spirit of Christmas all year round, that greeting is never out of place. ❤
Hello Anna,
I am delighted to hear from you, and hope that you have indeed enjoyed the festive season with your family and friends in lovely company of heartwarming music and food.
Speaking of food, here’s one post that will potentially whet your appetite, both visually and gustatorily, to a very high and inspirational degree at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/soundeagle-in-edible-art-glorious-food-and-festive-season/
May you have a satisfactory week ahead!
Many thanks! 🙂
You are very welcome, Anna. 🙂
SoundEagle, Thank You so much My New Friend!!!! I will check these out..
Sincerely,
Robertr
You are very welcome, Robert. If or when you try to access my main blog, please be informed that it will benefit from being viewed on a large screen of a desktop or laptop computer, since those lengthy multimedia posts and my blog could be too powerful and feature-rich for iPad, iPhone, tablet or other portable devices to handle properly or adequately.
SoundEagle…. so you never learned to like the word “Responsive”, Google will enjoy keeping you after the bell every day.
I send all Good Things your way
Sincerely,
Robert
This is a highly traumatic experience for children. We forget that hospital and medical staff are just people like anyone else who are capable of atrocities. Because they wear a badge or have certified qualifications does not exempt them from evil behaviour.
Pingback: Hospital of Horrors — ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
This is just so evil…abusing a child is by itself already evil..add to that if a child is already a trauma victim….
I could not agree more. Evil has no limits.
Anna, it is getting more and more difficult to read these posts. Many of us have no idea how dark the world we live in can be. I know that these are the sad realities of everyday people like us. As we read time and again, with empathy in our hearts, there must be something else we can do beyond reading and praying. I wonder what that is. Creating awareness is one thing and you do a great job at that. Thank you for bringing this to light. Love and blessings.
My heart breaks for these children, Gbolabo. I agree that we must do something. Prevention requires vigilance on all our parts. Justice requires more. It requires courage to confront evil — online and off — perseverance in bringing evildoers before the bar, and support by the community for those organizations which actively intervene in such grievous situations and help children to heal.
Is nothing ever going to be sacred anymore?
Well said. We cannot even seem to protect our children.
Sadly lawsuits only cover the issue..
I have seen settlements that require all records sealed and no media can be present to report.. And the party involved takes no responsibility for their wrong doing.. What a sad day we live in when the places meant to heal and protect a child has abusers within..
Thank you for raising awareness Anna!
Thank you for your concern, Mary.
Oh my, the abuse is sort of institutional.. I hope the children will be treated more properly.
Thank you, Anna.
Thank you for reading, David.
Always, Anna. Thank you. Your words encourage and challenge us to be outward focused always…
I have catching up to do as well 🙂
Your kindness warms my heart, dear brother.
Anna my oath to you and all survivors of abuse specially child abuse. I promise to raise awareness for the rest of my life in order to prevent further predictors or victims.
As one humanitarian international chain of survivors, may no stone go unturned. Together perhaps we can be persuasive help build a confidence that may have been suppressed to challenge their perpetrator.
May we comfort our fellow brother or sister in times of our flare up symptoms of PTSD. Reach out to our survivors with a hand of friendship, listen be there in every practical way possible.
In unison..
I just want to send you if that’s ok a tight gentle calm sincere hug absurvivors hug. Keep writing and raising awareness.
Blessing
Thank you for your kind words. ❤
Your welcome and its a pleasure to make your acquaintance.