Illinois’ child welfare system is facing a pair of lawsuits filed by families of two young girls who died from abuse.
3-year-old Gina Presley was described as ashen when paramedics arrived to her house last year, meaning she may have been dead for a while. She’d been living with her great-aunt in south suburban Oak Forest.
The aunt’s boyfriend has been charged with Gina’s death.
The child’s grandfather is suing the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Oak Forest police for not following up on his calls to the child abuse hotline.
DCFS is also being sued in a separate case for allegedly ignoring signs of abuse.
Gizzell Ford was 8-years-old when she died. Her mother’s attorney says she was tortured by her father and his mother. Both of whom have been charged in Gizzell’s death.
WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times profiled both girls’ deaths in a series of stories showing more children in Illinois have been dying of abuse or neglect even after DCFS had investigated their families.