Victims of Abuse

Some of the abuse cases investigated since 1995 by Edward F. Stancik, New York City’s independent investigator for its public schools.

• Quentin Magee, 8.

The cause of his death in 1995 was ruled to be an overdose of his seizure medication. Investigations by an attendance teacher or child welfare official were never requested, even though Quentin had been absent for 37 days the the previous schools year and school employees had noticed his emaciated condition just before his death.

• Justina Morales, 9.

Her yearlong absence from the school system was discovered only after her mother’s former boyfriend was accused of killing her in 1995.

• Nadine Lockwood, 4.

Her mother was charged in 1996 with starving her to death. Nadine’s four older siblings had missed hundreds of school days as well as required medical exams and immunizations, but their absences were never reported to the state abuse hot line.The attendance teacher in the community school district where the family lived admitted that he falsified reports and he was dismissed.

• Unidentified student, 7.

Milagros Mota and her boyfriend were arrested last year after bruises and burns were discovered on her daughter, whose name was withheld by authorities. School employees had observed signs of abuse at least six times before the state hotline was finally notified.

• Sabrina Green, 9.

Her sister and her sister’s husband were charged last year with killing Sabrina, whose body was found covered with bruises and burns and was missing a thumb. She had missed months of school in 1997, but school officials admitted they had failed to investigate her absence.