"Put that goddamn thing away"

[wensilver]

Ongoing development in Bucks County - but I am simply floored by the responses coming from public officials in this bizarre story - but the same doesn't apply to a geriatric football coach and college administrators - who should've "done more" with less information on a guy who had the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval slapped on him by the county and state. Child Advocates have not chimed in yet, I don't think. I suspect they too will ascribe to a Code of Silence for fear of bad publicity.

Wherein those in a position to protect children, failed to "do more". I wonder what Louis Freeh would have to say about all this?

Heckler - chairman of the Task Force on Child Protection formed after the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State child sex-abuse scandal - reacted testily when pressed on the unanswered complaints.


"Put that goddamn thing away," he told an Inquirer reporter trying to videotape his remarks with her cellphone. He then quickly drove away.


Hoopes told reporters later that his office had gotten some calls about Kaplan and the girls, but they were too vague for officers to seek warrants.


He was asked specifically about neighbors who called to complain as long ago as two years.

Read more here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2...ucks_back_yard_where_man__12_girls_lived.html
And here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160620_Kaplan_had_had_police_visits.html

 

[BobPSU92]

Who does roxine blame? Joe?

 

[NittPicker]

As with most instances of reprehensible behavior, the media and public at large want to blame someone besides just the bad actor. Something that bad couldn't possibly have been done by only one person without them being enabled by others, right? In the linked case the public welfare agencies will certainly be getting looked at through a microscope as well they should. If a child is "gifted" to a pervert it's difficult for social service agencies to even know about it. Therefore I'll withhold judgement until more is known.

It's a different story with Sandusky who, as you wrote, was given the seal of approval by social service agencies. It's their job to investigate adoptive and foster parents. Unfortunately the experts whiffed when they investigated Sandusky. When the shit hit the fan those social service agencies were saved from scrutiny by the fact some Penn State BoT members wanted to settle personal scores and served up a few scapegoats who had no responsibility whatsoever for approving Sandusky as an adoptive or foster parent. The public agencies won because blame was placed elsewhere. The Penn State BoT members won because they were able to exact their pound of flesh. C/S/S and the university at large were left to feel the brunt of the undeserved punishment.

When Heckler said, "Put that goddamn thing away", I bet he was wishing a corrupt organization like the 2011 Penn State BoT would step forward and assume all blame. It would make his job so much easier.

 

[wensilver]

"Task Force Chairman David Heckler on Tuesday reiterated his belief that if the changes were in place in the late 1990s, former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky likely would have been charged the first time he came to the attention of authorities"

Seems that shoe is on the other foot now...

Warning - PennLive link:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/11/pennsylvania_must_undergo_a_cu.html

 

[psunovaluvr]

Ongoing development in Bucks County - but I am simply floored by the responses coming from public officials in this bizarre story - but the same doesn't apply to a geriatric football coach and college administrators - who should've "done more" with less information on a guy who had the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval slapped on him by the county and state. Child Advocates have not chimed in yet, I don't think. I suspect they too will ascribe to a Code of Silence for fear of bad publicity.

Wherein those in a position to protect children, failed to "do more". I wonder what Louis Freeh would have to say about all this?

Heckler - chairman of the Task Force on Child Protection formed after the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State child sex-abuse scandal - reacted testily when pressed on the unanswered complaints.


"Put that goddamn thing away," he told an Inquirer reporter trying to videotape his remarks with her cellphone. He then quickly drove away.


Hoopes told reporters later that his office had gotten some calls about Kaplan and the girls, but they were too vague for officers to seek warrants.


He was asked specifically about neighbors who called to complain as long ago as two years.

Read more here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2...ucks_back_yard_where_man__12_girls_lived.html
And here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160620_Kaplan_had_had_police_visits.html

Found it interesting that in both articles cases, no comments are allowed....

 

[psuro]

"Task Force Chairman David Heckler on Tuesday reiterated his belief that if the changes were in place in the late 1990s, former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky likely would have been charged the first time he came to the attention of authorities"

Warning - PennLive link:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/11/pennsylvania_must_undergo_a_cu.html

Revionist wishful thinking.

 

[simons96]

"Task Force Chairman David Heckler on Tuesday reiterated his belief that if the changes were in place in the late 1990s, former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky likely would have been charged the first time he came to the attention of authorities"

Seems that shoe is on the other foot now...

Warning - PennLive link:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/11/pennsylvania_must_undergo_a_cu.html

Hindsight bias

 

[Royal_Coaster]

Hoopes told reporters later that his office had gotten some calls about Kaplan and the girls, but they were too vague for officers to seek warrants.

This is interesting. So they only act on complaints that go into great detail with a lot of specific info? Exactly how many anonymous calls to ChildLine would meet this criteria? No wonder why they don't follow up on any of them.