Opinion ID: 1145383
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: facts

Text: Within a month after the sudden, unexplained disappearance of her mother, police took MFB, then age two and one-half, into protective custody and removed her from the home she shared with the father and his girlfriend. A petition alleging neglect of a minor child was filed by the State on January 2, 1991. In a supporting affidavit, filed with the petition, a local police investigator detailed various concerns of family members and authorities for the welfare of MFB, including the father's failure to permit professional counseling for MFB to help her deal with the disappearance of her mother. The affidavit included information that MFB's welfare was threatened because she had some knowledge of possible criminal activity involved in her mother's disappearance. Following the appointment of a guardian ad litem for MFB, a shelter care hearing was conducted on January 3, 1991 by a court commissioner. The father waived his right to an attorney and informed the juvenile court that he was leaving the county for an eighteen week military training school in another state. He stipulated to a custody arrangement. The Department of Family Services assumed temporary legal custody of MFB with temporary placement at MFB's maternal grandparents. The commissioner ordered psychological evaluations of MFB and the father. The father presented himself for psychological evaluation on January 4, 1991. The evaluation was scheduled to include a personal interview and some standardized testing. However, when the psychologist left the room, the father failed to complete most of the tests and departed. As a result, the psychologist reported to the juvenile court that no diagnosis was possible from this evaluation. Meanwhile, counseling had begun for MFB. MFB experienced high levels of anxiety and recurring memories of a traumatic incident related to her mother's disappearance. The counselor concluded that MFB suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When the father returned from his military training, he filed an Affidavit In Forma Pauperis requesting court-appointed representation. An attorney was appointed on May 20, 1991. The father requested a Review Hearing for October 16, 1991 to consider a change in visitation. A report from MFB's counselor revealed that of five scheduled supervised visits, the father had appeared for only four visits. His interaction with MFB at the visits was characterized as displaying a lack of sensitivity. As an example, the counselor pointed out that during the second visit, the father brought a picture of MFB's mother and displayed it without seeking guidance in how to help MFB deal with her mother's disappearance. At another session, the counselor reported that the father brought inappropriate reading material to show MFB, a book titled The Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. The counselor told the court that MFB showed regression in her behavior, including nightmares, loss of appetite and tantrums, following each supervised visit. The counselor reported that MFB feared for her safety, telling the counselor, My Daddy said he would kill me. The juvenile court permitted supervised visitation to continue, but ordered a second psychological evaluation of the father and that he be required to successfully complete parenting classes as part of a reunification plan. The father presented himself for the second psychological evaluation on November 25, 1991. On January 22, 1992, the father apparently requested an Adjudicatory Hearing. The form used as the Request For Setting misidentified the father's attorney as the Attorney/Guardian ad Litem for Minor. However, the juvenile court evidently presumed the attorney was acting on behalf of the father. The hearing was promptly set for February 10, 1992. However, no hearing was held on that date because only thirty minutes had been reserved. In a later hearing, the father's attorney admitted rescheduling was necessary because he had not requested sufficient time for the proceeding. On March 3, 1992, the State requested a one-day Contested Hearing which was set for May 11, 1992. All parties agreed that this was an adjudicatory hearing. During the adjudicatory hearing, the State presented testimony from MFB's counselor that she suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which was severe in nature. The counselor described the traumatic event which triggered the disorder as occurring at the time that MFB's mother disappeared. In the counselor's opinion, the father's failure to seek professional help for such a young child suffering the stress of such a traumatic event constituted serious neglect. The paternal grandparents testified that they saw the father strike MFB with a hard slap across the face when she did not want to leave her grandparents following her mother's disappearance. As a result, the paternal grandfather said he feared for MFB's safety if she remained in the father's home. The paternal grandmother testified that the father used obscene language and made inappropriate references to the disappearance of the mother while MFB was present. The maternal grandmother testified about behavioral problems MFB experienced following her mother's disappearance, including claiming her mother was dead. The maternal grandmother testified she expressed her concern for MFB's well-being to local police following a visit in which the child acted withdrawn and had trouble sleeping. The adjudicatory hearing was not completed in one day as originally scheduled. The juvenile court recessed before completion of the State's case. During the interim period, the juvenile court ordered another evaluation of MFB, this time by a child psychiatrist. When the adjudicatory hearing resumed on July 30, 1992, a board certified child psychiatrist testified that she diagnosed MFB as suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The disorder was caused by the emotional abuse or trauma which the child suffered as a result of MFB's belief that she saw the father hurt her mother. The psychiatrist indicated that MFB would suffer tremendous anxiety if she were returned to the father's custody because MFB feared the father would harm her. The psychologist who conducted both evaluations of the father diagnosed him as suffering from an adjustment disorder. The father also displayed some long term characterological features such as passive aggressive behavior and a narcissistic personality. Testing revealed he suffered from depression and significant amounts of anger. The psychologist recommended further counseling for the father and demonstrated success before any attempt to increase visitation or reunify the family. The father admitted in his testimony that following his wife's disappearance, he had reacted to the suspicions of his family with some unusual behavior. However, he denied that behavior ever included slapping MFB in the face. The father said he completed the juvenile court-ordered parenting classes and psychological evaluations as part of his commitment to do whatever was necessary to get MFB back. The juvenile court found, in denying a motion to dismiss after completion of the State's presentation of evidence, that there had been physical abuse and neglect. Furthermore, at the conclusion of all evidence, the juvenile court found that MFB suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by the disappearance of her mother and the fear that the father would harm her. In an integrated disposition proceeding, the juvenile court ordered that in the best interests of the child, legal custody would remain with the Department of Family Services and MFB would be placed with the maternal grandparents. The juvenile court permitted supervised visitations bi-monthly for three hours per visit and ordered the father to attend counseling.