Abuse charges against Michael Schiavo made public

I stumbled across this and it’s from March 4, but now I understand where this is in the system.

Abuse Complaint Against Michael Schiavo Made Public

March 04, 2005

(CNSNews.com) – The Florida agency responsible for protecting disabled and elderly individuals released a sealed, 30-count allegation against Michael Schiavo Friday. The “motion for intervention and stay” charges that Terri Schindler Schiavo’s husband has abused, neglected and exploited her while seeking the court’s permission to end her life.

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) asked Pinellas-Pasco County Circuit Judge George Greer last week to give it 60 days to investigate the 11-page complaint.

The DCF motion, released Friday, argues that the agency cannot complete the investigation or provide Terri with services required by law if the 60-day stay is not granted.

“The allegations in the abuse reports go to the heart of whether abuse, neglect and/or exploitation [have] been perpetrated by [Michael Schiavo],” DCF attorneys wrote, “such that any relief afforded by this court to [him] prior to the conclusion of such investigation would be tragically misplaced.”

The complaint accuses Schiavo of:

* Failure to exercise Terri’s arms, resulting in “severe contractures,”

* Failure to provide appropriate medical therapy,

* Failure to investigate the rehabilitation value of newly available technologies,

* Interference in communication with and visitation by Terri’s family members and friends,

* Denial of access to independent legal counsel,

* Failure to file guardianship reports as required by law,

* Failure to provide required legal notices to Terri, and

* Performing experimental procedures without following proper medical and legal procedures.

The agency concluded that an injunction against Michael Schiavo removing Terri’s feeding tube, “would prevent irreparable and immediate harm from occurring by allowing these and other allegations to be investigated.”

The agency also reminded Judge Greer that “The court’s determination that it has reviewed some or all of these facts does not relieve DCF from discharging its investigative duties.”

Looks to me as though the Judge and Michael both could be in big trouble, depending on what the findings are.

Greer did not allow DFS to intervene in the case.

Doesn’t it seem as though government has invaded just about every avenue in this case? Why is it that we’re looking to government to solve it? Is it because there seems to be no other way?

The investigation is going on even though Greer struck it down in court, so it should be interesting to see what the findings are.

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