Collateral Damage: The DCF Chronicles

DCF Chronicles, Investigations, Systemic Failures, Sexual Assault, Teen Pregnancy Paul Brown DCF Chronicles, Investigations, Systemic Failures, Sexual Assault, Teen Pregnancy Paul Brown

How a Connecticut guardian kept custody, and a child, while agencies looked away

A 13-year-old in Connecticut became pregnant in 2008 while under a probate guardianship. Records show DCF and the court missed clear warning signs, failed to notify police, and left the child in harm’s way. Read how gaps in policy and practice let a guardian keep custody and control.

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DCF Chronicles, Systemic Failures, Child Deaths, Advocacy, Accountability, Connecticut Paul Brown DCF Chronicles, Systemic Failures, Child Deaths, Advocacy, Accountability, Connecticut Paul Brown

How Connecticut DCF, a custody court, and a school withdrawal let an 11-year-old vanish

Police found Jacqueline Torres-Garcia in a plastic tote behind an abandoned New Britain house in 2025. Records show DCF closed a case months earlier after a video check. The story tracks the school withdrawal, the missed in-person visit, and the custody decisions that left no neutral eyes on her.

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