Tuesday, November 07, 2006

More About Raijon

In my original post about Raijon Daniels, I wondered where his father was. That part has been answered.

From the Contra Costa Times:

On the day prosecutors charged the mother of an 8-year-old boy with torture and child abuse in connection with his grisly death last week, the boy's father could only shake his head in disbelief, wondering why it happened the way it did.

Desmond Landers was angry that nobody informed him about the alleged abuse.

"I'd have stepped up," Landers, 26, said outside a barbershop in downtown Richmond. "There ain't no question."

According to Mr. Landers, Ms. Moses and her family kept him from seeing Raijon. In fact, he was sending child support payments until Ms. Moses told him to stop and that Raijon was not his son. He didn't believe her--but he didn't pursue custody or request a paternity test.

Given the above, would Children & Family Services even have known there was a father around? Mr. Landers changed his name several years ago--is that change reflected on Raijon's birth certificate?

The adults in Raijon's life clearly let him down, beginning with his parents.

He didn't need a village. He needed one person who cared.