Rebecca Riley Case

The Department of Social Services is working to repair a lack of medical knowledge in the wake of Rebecca Riley's death. Rebecca Riley was found dead in her parents bedroom, dead from an over dose is a prescription medication. The DSS is now working to address what it sees as a critical need for unbiased medical expertise for the children it serves. It is unknown if such steps would have saved Rebecca, but any doctor should have been aware that she was in a poor condition. The state was left to trust the word of the four-year-old girls doctor that the medication that would kill her was needed.

Meanwhile more questions are being raised to the authenticity of the young girls illness. One professional has pointed out that the very nature of the living situation it appears Rebecca was living in could have caused behaviors that were similar to a mental illness. The family was unemployed and according to those who were in touch with the family before the girls death, she lead a very chaotic life. Rebecca who was diagnosed with ADHD has many asking if such a child can really be tested and treated for medical conditions of this nature, and if when they are they should be given adult medication, which Rebecca was.

Environment: Well, the environment impacts behavior. If the parents have a chaotic home environment where discipline is inconsistent, expectations are unclear, and negative emotions run high, then the kid has a better chance of showing a variety of behaviors and emotions that could come across (rightly or wrongly) as some sort of mental disorder. If these same symptoms are not expressed at school, then maybe the controlled environment, positive peer interactions, relationship with the teacher, teacher's strong classroom management skills or whatever are helping Junior keep a lid on the problem behaviors at school. So if the kid can keep it together at school but not at home, is this the kid's problem or the parent's problem?
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In a separate case, Michael Riley is facing charges that he sexually molested a step-daughter in 2005, when she was 13. The child is the daughter of Carolyn Riley from another relationship, and had been adopted when she was a toddler, by another family, but was still visiting her mother on weekends. It is claimed that the incident took place during one of these visits. Riley is expected to go to trial and face those charges sometime in May. His first encounter with the law was in 1998 when he was charged with assault and battery.

The parents have plead not guilty for the charges related to the death of Rebecca but are being held in jail pending a trial, the are being held without bail. The parents place the blame on the child's psychiatrist that they claim prescribed the wrong dose of medication. New speculation around the case, is questioning if the parents had been drugging Rebecca in an attempt to gain more money from the government, by claiming that she had a disability. The parents do not stand alone, family members have come forward claiming that both parents loved the child. In my honest opinion I doubt that this is a case of intentional homicide, and more a case of negligent homicide.

I feel like I lack a sense of perspective in this story, and I have found a well written opinion, that should be read to understand why the mothers actions may be understandable, not excusable - understandable.

It will be easy for the public to find Caroline Riley guilty for the death of her daughter. She will be blamed for marrying a violent man, for having kids with him, for having once taken up with someone who turned out to be a sex offender, for having a child with that guy, for not leaving Michael Riley, for letting Riley move back in, for forgiving him one too many times. People figure if anybody should know what’s what, Caroline’s mother should, when in fact, as battered women will and do, Caroline obviously protected her husband (and herself and her kids) and didn’t tell the truth about him, even to her mom. People will read the facts as I’ve outlined them and will conclude differently than I have, will see the oversize shoes and “inappropriate” clothes as part and parcel of the abuse which caused Rebecca’s death. It will be easier for people to blame Caroline for marrying Michael than it will be to blame Michael for his violence and battering. It will be easier to agree with the grandmothers that the rape charges “weren’t true,” than to believe that they were.
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I hope to be able to stay on this story as it unfolds and bring the story to you. The thing to remember is that a child lost their life here, and she didn't have to. What could have been done and what should have been done should be the questions we are asking here. The parents hold blame, and that is for the courts to decide, if it is shown that they are criminally guilty, they will serve their time. Rebecca will never come back to life, but understanding what went wrong in her case may enable the saving of other children.