NY Care Facilities Rampant with Physical and Sexual Abuse
ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Jonathan Carey Foundation -- Governor Cuomo has ignored pleas for required direct reporting of abuse and neglect of the disabled to go immediately to 911. Instead Governor Cuomo continues to allow most witnessed and reported cases to be internally investigated by the providers themselves- not the police. According to NYS law, abuse and neglect of an incompetent or physically disabled person is a crime which obviously should go to 911, but not treated as so by NYS. Most cases of abuse or neglect in NYS mental health facilities and group homes are never reported to anyone, but out of the many thousands that are reported every month the required reporting is to a State hotline –not to 911. Tragically, this has been the successful pattern NYS has had dating back to the Willowbrook expose in 1972 which has allowed the cover ups to be accomplished easily. By keeping local police and first responder medical help out of the picture vital evidence of crimes in most cases is never obtained and independent medical or police reports obviously are rarely generated. This also is how cover ups have continued under Cuomo's watch following the most recent 2011 NY Times "Abused & Used" award-winning investigative reporting series.
Currently, over 7,000 calls are reported to the NYS Justice Center State abuse hotline every month and 11-12 deaths every day on average and Governor Cuomo has taken no significant steps to stop or prevent the negligent care and horrible abuses happening behind closed doors. Instead of taking the many necessary steps needed to finally protect 1,000,000 of New York State's most vulnerable residents, Governor Cuomo chose to continue to protect the negligent State and private provider agencies.
These are "life and death" matters as our son Jonathan whom had autism and was only 13 when he was killed by his caregivers along with many others have realized. The Jonathan Carey Foundation's -600 Mile Walk for Justice which started in Buffalo on September 22nd and will be ending in Montauk, Long Island on October 17th is about exposing the rampant abuse and neglect and the civil rights violations denying our most vulnerable safe care and emergency 911 services. The 911 emergency reporting systems were established nationwide to help and assist everyone that are injured and victims of crimes not to negate people with disabilities-this is discrimination. The Justice Center Abuse hotline is not treating abuse or neglect of a disabled child or adult as a possible crime or an emergency, their posters and wallet cards direct witnesses and mandated reporters to report directly to them- NOT to 911 call centers all across NYS.
This abuse hotline has been acknowledged on tape to be operating fraudulently according NYS Assembly leadership and Oversight & Investigation Chairman Andrew Hevesi- yet it continues to operate this way without being investigated. Read More.
We are calling for Federal Investigations by US Attorney Preet Bharara
For more information or to schedule an interview call Michael at 518-475-9100
SOURCE The Jonathan Carey Foundation
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