OT but need help from anyone with legal background
How can I deal with a situation where I know with absolutely certainty that is a child is being neglected and this neglect absolutely constitutes abuse BUT the parents are hiding behind religious freedom? The parents have been investigated, but the state says the neglect doesn't rise to the level that they will do something. In my opinion, this is bullsh&t. This child cannot walk properly because of a condition that could be treated but the parents don't treat it because in my opinion they are too lazy and have other "normal" kids they focus their time and attention on. Family members have offered to take the child on themselves to get the treatment she needs but the parents refuse. Is there ANYTHING we can do legally to change this situation, or are we ramming our heads against a wall? Please help, I am at my wit's end!
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The child has a severe
The child has a severe problem with her legs that makes her unable to walk. She was born with it, and doctors explained that it is treatable and recommended a course of action. Surgery has been recommended as the ultimate solution, but even regular physical therapy (including the kind that can be administered at home) has been recommended and they refuse to do it. So the child is ruining her legs. She is desperate to stand and walk and is now literally standing on the "fronts" of her ankles with her feet completely curled under. She has turned one foot completely around on the ankle by using it to drag herself from place to place in a sitting position.
I don't know what religion they are, but amazingly it doesn't preclude the mother from getting medical care. Just the kids, I guess. She and her husband claim they are praying for a miracle and refuse to do anything else. Meanwhile this child is getting deformed to the point of no return. I know they do not intend to do anything adaptive for her (wheelchair, crutches, etc.), so she will be doomed to a life of dragging herself around on the floor.
That is the saddest thing I
That is the saddest thing I have ever heard
Yes, it is, and I have to
Yes, it is, and I have to watch it and wonder why NOBODY will do anything for this child. It is just NOT right, hiding behind religion. If you don't care enough about this kid to get her the care she needs, others have offered to do it for you and you refuse. So is this just about control? The kid is pulling her hair out in her frustration. She is being mentally as well as physically damaged by this, all in the falsely placed name of religion. It's disgusting.