NCJ Number
63704
Date Published
1977
Length
54 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT BY A BRITISH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY DISCUSSES THE EVENTS, COURT HEARINGS, AND OTHER MATTERS IN THE CASE HISTORY OF A CHILD KILLED BY HIS STEPFATHER.
Abstract
WAYNE BREWER, A 4-YEAR-OLD-BOY, DIED IN MAY 1976, FROM INJURIES RECEIVED FROM HIS STEPFATHER, NIGEL BRIFFETT. BOTH WAYNE'S STEPFATHER, BORN IN 1953, AND HIS MOTHER ELAINE, BORN IN 1955, CAME FROM UNSTABLE, VIOLENT FAMILIES, AND WAYNE HIMSELF WAS BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK WHEN HIS MOTHER WAS 15. ELAINE SUBSEQUENTLY MARRIED NIGEL BRIFFETT, WHO BEGAN TO BEAT WAYNE. WAYNE WAS SOON REMOVED FROM HIS HOME BY COURT ORDER DUE TO HIS MOTHER'S UNCONTROLLABLE TEMPER. WAYNE REMAINED IN FOSTER HOMES FROM APRIL 1974, THROUGH JUNE 1975, WHERE HIS HEALTH, INTELLIGENCE AND DISPOSITION GREATLY IMPROVED. HOWEVER, HE WAS PERMITTED TO RETURN TO HIS PARENTS ABOVE THE PROTESTS OF HIS SOCIAL WORKERS, WHO CONSIDERED IT TOO RISKY FOR HIM. THE BRIFFETTS' FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES HAD IMPROVED AND THEIR LEVEL OF MATURITY APPEARED TO HAVE IMPROVED WHEN THEY APPLIED TO HAVE WAYNE RETURNED; SINCE THE SOCIAL WORKERS' OPPOSITION TO THIS WAS BASED LARGELY ON THEIR OPINION OF THE BRIFFETTS, THEY WERE OVERRULED. ALTHOUGH HE AND HIS PARENTS CONTINUED TO BE SUPERVISED BY SOCIAL WORKERS AND NEIGHBORS, WAYNE DIED OF ABDOMINAL INJURIES FOLLOWING REPEATED ABUSE BY NIGEL BRIFFETT. LACK OF INFORMATION AND THE ADVERSARIAL COURT SYSTEM CONTRIBUTED TO THE COURT'S UNFORTUNATE ORDER TO HAVE WAYNE RETURNED TO THE BRIFFETTS. NONETHELESS, THE REPORT FINDS THAT THE SOCIAL WORKERS DID A GOOD JOB IN THE CASE. OTHER TOPICS DISCUSSED INCLUDE NEEDS, DEMANDS, AND TRAINING OF SOCIAL WORKERS FOR CHILD ABUSE CASES, CASE CONFERENCES (IN THE WAYNE BREWER CASE), AND SOCIAL SERVICES GUIDELINES. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED AND RELATED DOCUMENTS ARE APPENDED. (PAP)