Mother of Ayana Bennett Calls for Murder Charge
Ayana Bennett
The shocking death of four-year-old Ayana Bennett, who was placed by the state in the foster care of Mennonite couple, Marvin and Lena Plett, in Spanish Lookout, has moved many to lash out against the Pletts. But many have also questioned the soundness of the system that put her there. The little girl was taken away from her mother, Alva Moody and placed in foster care in September, unbeknown to her. A post mortem examination following her death revealed that she died of multiple blunt force trauma.
Lena and Marvin Plett
And today, police announced that they have formally arrested and jointly charged Lena and Marvin Plett, for manslaughter. The Pletts have been remanded to the Belize Central Prison until February fifteenth. That, however, is little comfort to her mother, Alva Moody, who told News Five this evening that she is so livid over what has happened and that the charge against the Pletts is manslaughter and not murder. Moody said she is also very upset with the Ministry of Human Development and she is contemplating filing a lawsuit. Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, meanwhile, and Director of Human Services, Shawn Vargas, told the media today that there was no indication that four-year-old Ayana Bennett was in any kind of danger at the Plett’s residence. Vargas told News Five this evening that the social worker’s last visit to the Pletts was around mid-October and that nothing seemed unusual. Meanwhile, the minister indicated that the department and staff view the child’s death with the greatest of regret, bereavement and shock and that there is now consideration being given to review the policy regarding foster care. She also indicated that they will assist with the funeral, and will continue to reach out to the parents of little Ayana.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
“We are shocked and horrified, as the rest of the nation, that’s something as serious as this could have happened. We’re very, very bereaved and saddened at what has happened. To my knowledge, in terms of what I have been briefed on, there were no red flags whatsoever in terms of the placement. It was sort of an emergency placement in what I have been briefed that took place in September.”
Alva Moody
Alva Moody, Mother of Ayana Bennett
“If they beat you in the head, whole ah your body to the toe, how can that be manslaughter? They didn’t tell me that my Mennonites have my child, number one. I’m not even pleased with that right now. Of course I will sue them. I don’t care. And they still have the next one? Why they don’t give me back the next one, the baby? I went to court November 9th for my kids. The court, the judge say, Alva, you are doing good in court. I go to parenting for them, but the Thursday, I text him and tell him about my foot because my foot, I fell off the step and one nail hit my foot, right? I text him and I tell him my foot, I can’t attend the parenting today because of the condition of my foot, right? Yes. So when I tell ah – I think the Friday morning, I think, they come to check for my foot because I text them, right? That was my belief, right? See, if I’m telling a lie or not, right? Not knowing the Friday morning, after seven, Mr. Vargas came.”
On the phone: Shawn Vargas
On the phone: Shawn Vargas, Director, Social Services, Ministry of Human Development
“The screening process that the department employs looks at several factors, a police record, we run – with foreigners, we run an interval check. We do a local child abuse and DV (domestic violence) or neglect check within the department. We conduct a comprehensive home visit to look at all the details, the home environment, interview the individuals living in the home, looking for the motivation to foster. The Pletts were approved as short term foster parents, meaning nothing more than three months at a time, and I think to a certain extent they were approved as overnight placement for emergency purposes only. Their referral came from other foster families right there within Spanish Lookout and so we made efforts to utilize them because everything that we have done and we’ve carried out didn’t – a red flag was not shown or anything to that effect. The child was placed in mid September.”
Marion Ali
“Okay, so that would be maybe two months ago there about.”
On the phone: Shawn Vargas
“Aha.”
Marion Ali
“Okay, since she’s been there for two months, what kind of follow-up was done within that two-month period?”
Ayana Bennett
On the phone: Shawn Vargas
“This was an active process and because the case was in front of the court, the placement required monthly visits by the social worker, it also looks at monthly visits with the mom.”
Marion Ali
“So you’d say that the last time the office checked with the Pletts was around the middle of October?”
On the phone: Shawn Vargas
“Yeah, I think the week of the 20th of October and everything was fine.”
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
“It may be good for the ministry to consider placing children in, what you might call, culturally similar environments, you know, but please, this is not a criticism whatsoever from me of the members of the Mennonite community who have successfully fostered children. What we will be doing is trying to sit and make a very extensive review of our policies, but I must repeat that we did not have any reason for concern or delay or maybe reticence in terms of that particular placement. The responsibility, because the child was a ward of state, is definitely with us, and there is no way government can run from that. And we would never seek to do that. So it is a matter of discussion. It is a matter of good-faith talks back and forth. And, you know, we will make sure that we have to – that we will make sure that we do what we need to do as a ministry of government.”
