Statement Regarding the Tragic Death of Raymond Porfil

I am heartbroken and deeply disturbed to read the accounts in recent days of the horrible death of 5-month old Raymond Porfil at the hands of his mother, who was reportedly using K2 for an extended period of time. While we do not yet know the entire picture, each detail that emerges raises more serious questions about how and why little Raymond and his sister Ray Jasmine remained in the care of their mother when two older children had been removed from the home and when ACS’s involvement in Raymond’s case had risen to the relatively high level of Manager. 

Many questions remain to be answered. While nothing will bring Raymond back, we at the City Council with insist on full accountability and transparency from ACS on how the system so absolutely failed Raymond and what ACS and the entire child welfare system is doing to fix the gaps in case practice that the murder of little Raymond so painfully exposes.