PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office took the extremely rare step this week of charging a social worker with murder in the death of a child whose foster placement she was overseeing. It’s a troubling development for the city’s child welfare system, as the first time in 14 years, a Philadelphia social worker has been charged with murder.
The affidavit about the death of 3-year-old Hope Jones in July is gut-wrenching. Jones never had a prayer.
Taken from her family at 15 months old, she was placed with Kiana Casey. In nearly two years with Casey, Jones lost weight, lost mobility, and lost two front teeth in separate injuries.
Social worker Jendayi Mawusi was in the Southwest Philadelphia home on July 12, the day the girl died. The affidavit for Mawusi’s arrest said she was there to make a wellness check, and even took a picture as required, but the picture shows Jones glassy-eyed, her pupils fixed and dilated, and concludes Jones was likely already dead.
Medics who came to the scene shortly afterward reported the girl had a black eye and bruises all over her body, including what appeared to be a footprint on her abdomen. An autopsy showed rib fractures, organ damage and internal bleeding, indicating “that she sustained significant physical abuse on repeated occasions.”
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Through it all, the affidavit says, Mawusi never filed an incident report, never documented, recorded, or advised anyone about the little girl’s injuries or declining physical condition.
“Mawusi’s conduct,” according to the document, “demonstrates a wickedness of disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty … and an extreme indifference to the value of human life.”
Casey was previously charged with murder in the case.
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Not since the 2006 death of Danieal Kelly has a Philadelphia social worker been accused of complicity in the death of a child on the DHS caseload.
The current system of subcontracted case work grew out of the Kelly case. The hope was to improve the safety of children in care.
Some City Council members have questioned whether it has been effective. DHS has consistently defended it.
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Mawusi was employed by Northeast Treatment Centers, one of the agencies the Department of Human Services contracts with to manage child welfare cases. Northeast Treatment Centers’ director did not respond to a request for an interview.
Efforts to reach Mawusi were unsuccessful. No attorney is listed for her.
A city spokesperson said DHS Commissioner Kimberly Ali was unavailable for an interview.