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Take Your Law and Shove it
August 9, 2008 permalink
Nichole Yegge was in the care of Las Vegas child protectors for four years. After she was found dead, DFS refused to comply with a state law requiring disclosure in the case of dead foster children. They said her death does not fall under the definition of a child abuse and neglect fatality. Oh really? Then why was she in their custody in the first place?
Cases like this (there are lots in states with disclosure laws) show why having state agencies care for children cannot work. They ignore the laws not to their liking and cannot be made to comply, since judges cannot hand down rulings opposing the full power of the state. Children will continue to suffer, and state agencies will continue to thumb their nose at the law, until the system is reformed to leave most of the children now in state care in their families, with the few intractable cases left to private charity.
Nicole is a misspelling, all other news reports call her Nichole.
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DFS Refuses Release of Murdered Teen's Records
Updated: Aug 8, 2008 03:49 AM
The I-Team has learned the Clark County Department of Family Services has refused to release information about its history with Nicole Yegge. The 17-year-old runaway's mutilated body was found in a shallow grave over the weekend.
State law requires the public release of information whenever a child known to the child welfare system dies.
During an interview with Eyewitness News last year, Yegge claimed she entered foster care at the age of 13.
DFS says it will not release her case history because her death does not fall under the definition of a child abuse and neglect fatality.
The state auditor reviewing all child deaths tells the I-Team he has requested Yegge's case file and will release the required information as soon as he receives it.
Source: KLAS TV Las Vegas