Court filing raises new questions about DCF's handling of Waterbury captivity case
There are more questions about the Department of Children and Families’ involvement in the case of a man in Waterbury who says his stepmother held him captive for decades.
NBC Connecticut obtained a motion filed by the conservator of the man known as “S.” The court filing accuses DCF of withholding records about its handling of the case.
Last week, the state sought to block a request that could allow “S” to sue the agency in the future. The state is arguing that the allegations “S” is making are too old and that the Claims Commissioner should only handle filings involving allegations from one year ago, or at most three years ago.
The initial filing by “S’s” conservator argues that DCF did not properly investigate reports of neglect involving “S.” The claim references an exclusive NBC Connecticut interview in which “S”’s former principal, Tom Pannone, said he reported abuse to DCF multiple times and that nothing was done.
According to the filing, if DCF had properly investigated the reports, “S” — who is now 33 years old — would have been “freed” from torture and abuse.
Documents obtained by NBC Connecticut show the state is seeking to dismiss “S”’s claim.
Now, “S’s” conservator is responding with this motion. It argues that the alleged victim remained imprisoned inside the home for years and was incapable of filing a claim at that time.
The motion also claims DCF has not produced all of its records in this case, including communications involving former DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes in 2002.
The motion includes a screenshot of an email that has Dorantes cc’d on it. It says “I just wanted you to know that the two records you requested I am unable to locate. I’ll keep looking for them, they are as follows: CASE NAME: Kimberly Sullivan.”
Sullivan is “S’s” stepmother and is charged with holding him captive in a room in their Waterbury home for decades.
We reached out to DCF. In a statement, the agency says “We can confirm during the timeframe mentioned, in 2002, that Vannessa Dorantes was a longtime employee of the Waterbury Office and, at that time, was an Investigations Supervisor. And, it is standard procedure to request hard copy files of previous involvement with a family when a new report is being investigated on that family.”
DCF was involved with “S”‘s family from 1996 until 2005. In that time, DCF says they found six reports made in connection with this family.
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