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South Dakota's State Concealed Sexual Exploitation of Lakota Children

by Lakota People's Law Project
The recent Mette foster care scandal provides even more damning evidence that South Dakota is abusing its power as a protector of children. When four Lakota foster girls in the Mette family's care testified that they were being brutally raped and abused, state officials didn't try to protect the girls—instead they tried to protect themselves. Then they accused two child advocates, who were the foster girls' most vocal allies, of making the children lie. They also dropped nearly every one of the felony charges against the abusive father. Read the FULL LENGTH report below.
abandoned-and-forgotten.pdf_600_.jpg
Special Report: The Mette Case
A Lakota People’s Law Project Special Report
May 15, 2013

Abandoned and Forgotten: How the State of South Dakota Punished Lakota Child Welfare Advocates and Protected Child Abusers — The Mette and Taliaferro/ Schwab Cases
http://www.lakotalaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Abandoned-and-Forgotten.pdf

Each year in South Dakota the state Department of Social Services (DSS) takes over 700 American Indian children away from their families and tribes. 90% of these children are put into non-Native foster homes and institutions—in direct violation of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). In return, the state receives thousands of federal foster care dollars for every child they take—almost $100 million annually.

The recent Mette foster care scandal provides even more damning evidence that South Dakota is abusing its power as a protector of children. When four Lakota foster girls in the Mette family's care testified that they were being brutally raped and abused, state officials didn't try to protect the girls—instead they tried to protect themselves. Then they accused two child advocates, who were the foster girls' most vocal allies, of making the children lie. They also dropped nearly every one of the felony charges against the abusive father.


Sign the petition to the Department of Justice demanding an investigation NOW!
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50182/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=12815

http://www.lakotalaw.org/
http://childadvocatesdefensefund.com/
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