Child found dead in New Britain had not eaten for weeks, warrant says – CT Mirror

Report on the Death of Jacqueline Torres-García and Systemic Failures in Child Protection

Case Summary and Context

A report from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) and associated court documents reveal that Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-García died as a result of severe abuse and malnourishment. The child was reportedly confined with zip ties, denied food for weeks, and her body was later discovered in a plastic container. This case highlights significant failures in child protection mechanisms and raises critical questions regarding the state’s alignment with several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Analysis of Systemic Failures through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The circumstances surrounding Torres-García’s death represent a profound failure of the institutions tasked with protecting vulnerable children, directly contravening the targets of SDG 16.

• Target 16.2 (End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children): The child endured extreme violence, torture, and abuse, including prolonged starvation and physical restraint, leading to her death. This is a direct violation of this fundamental child protection goal.
• Target 16.6 (Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions): The DCF’s involvement with the family demonstrates significant institutional vulnerabilities. The agency was deceived by the family, who had another child impersonate Torres-García during a video welfare check. This incident, along with the subsequent calls by lawmakers for full transparency and accountability, underscores the urgent need to strengthen institutional processes to prevent such tragedies.

SDG 2 & SDG 3: Zero Hunger & Good Health and Well-being

The case is a stark illustration of the violation of a child’s most basic rights to nutrition and health.

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): The autopsy confirmed that Torres-García was malnourished, and her mother admitted to police that she and her boyfriend had stopped feeding the child for two weeks prior to her death. This deliberate act of starvation is a direct antithesis to the goal of ending hunger and ensuring access to food.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The severe and sustained abuse constitutes a complete failure to ensure the child’s health and well-being. Furthermore, the broader context of the child welfare system, which struggles to provide families with necessary mental health and addiction treatment services, points to systemic gaps in achieving SDG 3 for vulnerable populations.

SDG 1, SDG 4, & SDG 10: No Poverty, Quality Education, and Reduced Inequalities

The case also intersects with broader socio-economic and educational issues that are central to the SDG framework.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Advocates note that the majority of DCF cases relate to neglect, which is often rooted in poverty. A strained, underfunded system lacking support for families in poverty—including access to housing and child care—exacerbates inequalities and places children at greater risk. This case highlights how a lack of resources and support for struggling families can contribute to catastrophic outcomes.
• SDG 4 (Quality Education): The family’s claim that Torres-García was being homeschooled was used to hide the abuse from authorities. This has renewed calls to regulate homeschooling to ensure it cannot be used as a shield for abuse and neglect, thereby safeguarding a child’s right to a safe and quality education. The Office of the Child Advocate has previously reported that homeschooling has been used to conceal abuse, pointing to a regulatory gap that undermines the principles of SDG 4.

Institutional Chronology and Recommendations

Timeline of DCF Involvement

1. Birth – May 2022: Following her birth while her mother was detained, Torres-García was placed with a relative.
2. May 2022: Guardianship was granted to her parents, a decision supported by DCF.
3. September – November 2022: A subsequent investigation involving the child’s siblings was closed due to insufficient evidence of abuse or neglect.
4. January 2025: After two years with no involvement, DCF received new allegations regarding a younger sibling.
5. March 2025: After being told Torres-García was homeschooled and out of state, DCF conducted a video call with a person her mother claimed was Jacqueline. The agency, apparently satisfied, closed the case months after the child is believed to have died.

Proposed Reforms for SDG Alignment

• Institutional Accountability (SDG 16): Lawmakers are demanding a full review of DCF’s actions, particularly the remote welfare check, to ensure accountability and strengthen protocols for protecting vulnerable children.
• Educational Oversight (SDG 4): Online petitions and child advocacy groups are calling for greater regulation of homeschooling, such as periodic welfare checks, to ensure the safety and well-being of all children.
• Systemic Support (SDG 1, 3, 10): Addressing the root causes of neglect by adequately funding and providing access to services like housing, mental health treatment, and child care is essential to support families and prevent future tragedies.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article explicitly states that the child, Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-García, “hadn’t eaten for weeks prior to her death” and was “malnourished.” Her mother admitted to police that they “stopped feeding Torres-García for two weeks prior to her death.” This directly relates to the goal of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The severe abuse, neglect, and eventual death of a child are fundamental failures in ensuring healthy lives and well-being. The article also touches upon the lack of access to essential services like “mental health or addiction treatment” for families, which is a key component of this goal.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article highlights a critical issue where the education system, specifically homeschooling, was manipulated to conceal abuse. The mother reported the child was being homeschooled close to the time of her death, and the article notes that “homeschooling has been used to hide abuse and that Connecticut has little regulation of that system.” This connects to the need for safe and regulated learning environments.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This is a central theme of the article. It details extreme violence against a child, including being “kept zip-tied in a corner.” Furthermore, it scrutinizes the effectiveness and accountability of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), a key state institution. The article mentions the family deceiving the agency, calls for “more accountability and transparency from DCF,” and questions about the agency’s procedures, such as conducting a welfare check via Zoom.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  • Target 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
    
    Explanation: The autopsy confirmed the child was “malnourished,” and her mother confessed to intentionally “denied food in the two weeks before she died.” This is a direct and fatal instance of malnutrition that this target aims to eliminate.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  • Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
    
    Explanation: Although the child was older than 5, her death from abuse and neglect represents a preventable child death, which is the core principle of this target.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  • Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
    
    Explanation: The article discusses how homeschooling, the child’s designated learning environment, was used to “hide abuse.” This demonstrates a complete failure to provide a safe learning environment, highlighting the need for better oversight and regulation as called for in online petitions for “periodic welfare checks for homeschooled children.”

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
    
    Explanation: The child’s murder is a direct example of a “related death rate” from violence. The details of her being “restrained in zip ties as punishment” exemplify the extreme violence this target seeks to reduce.
  • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
    
    Explanation: This target is directly addressed by the article’s central theme. The child was a victim of severe abuse, confinement, and starvation, which constitute forms of violence and torture against a child.
  • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
    
    Explanation: The article critiques the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Lawmakers called for “full transparency” and “more accountability” from the agency after it was deceived by the family during a welfare check and failed to protect the child. The high caseworker turnover mentioned also points to institutional weaknesses.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 16.1 & 16.2 (Violence against children):

  The article provides a qualitative case study of a child’s death due to violence and abuse. A quantitative indicator is implied when the article states that for DCF, “About 80% of cases come to the agency because of neglect concerns, not abuse.” This statistic helps to contextualize the prevalence of different types of harm reported to the child welfare system. The number of substantiated cases of child abuse and child deaths from abuse are direct indicators.

• Indicator for Target 2.2 (Malnutrition):

  The autopsy result showing the child was “malnourished” serves as a direct, albeit tragic, indicator of severe malnutrition. This specific finding from a medical examination is a measure used to confirm the condition.

• Indicator for Target 16.6 (Institutional Effectiveness):

  The article implies several indicators of institutional failure. The fact that DCF was deceived by a “video call with a person who (the) mother claimed to be Jacqueline” indicates a failure in verification protocols. The mention of “Caseworker turnover is high” is a measurable indicator of instability within the child welfare agency. The calls by lawmakers for “full details of this video call” and “full transparency” suggest that public and legislative oversight actions can serve as indicators of accountability mechanisms being activated.

• Indicator for Target 4.a (Safe Learning Environments):

  The article points to the number of cases where homeschooling is used to conceal abuse as a potential indicator. The Office of the Child Advocate’s report stating that “homeschooling has been used to hide abuse” suggests this is a known issue. The emergence of “Online petitions” calling for “periodic welfare checks for homeschooled children” can be seen as an indicator of public demand for new regulatory measures to ensure safety.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ctmirror.org