Bucks judge’s ruling on Kayden Mancuso mandates his elimination
As we celebrate the passage of Kayden’s Regulation in the state Senate, and anticipate the very same in the Home and for Gov. Tom Wolf to subsequently enact the bolstering of baby-protection rules, I’m reminded of the horror of how we all received below.
I’m reminded of the unconscionable determination by Bucks County Widespread Pleas Court docket Judge Jeffrey Trauger that led to a child’s brutal murder by her biological father, who then dedicated suicide, but not in advance of leaving a mocking note to his household and ex-girlfriend on their daughter’s lifeless overall body.
I’m reminded how this family court docket judge had before him so many red flags and screaming sirens but ignored them all.
I’m reminded of how Trauger decided to turn 7-yr-aged Kayden Mancuso of Decreased Makefield over to her father, Jeffrey Mancuso, who was skillfully evaluated as narcissistic, depressed, antisocial, and had a heritage of violence for unsupervised visits during a custody struggle with his former girlfriend, Kathryn Sherlock.
Reminded of how Trauger experienced prior to him thorough accounts of how Mancuso had multiple assault rates across various states, abused alcoholic beverages and prescription medicines, punched his high university teachers and was expelled, brawled in college or university, assaulted his have mother in Kayden’s existence, spat upon loved ones users, bit off component of a man’s ear for the duration of an altercation in a bar, and even abused the household pet dog.
Reminded of how Trauger ignored the advice of a court docket-appointed evaluator, who said Mancuso should enter into psychological health treatment before becoming given unsupervised visits with the baby.
Given that mountain of damning facts at his fingertips, we ponder virtually 3 several years later how Trauger saw fit to hand the little one to her father without supervision? How? How? His conclusion conflicts with easy motive. That Trauger carries on to sit on the county bench defies motive.
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When determining custody in Pennsylvania, the courts refer to 16 components that are identified in the ideal fascination of the little one, and individuals components which impact the safety of the youngster are supplied weighted thought.
The second component reads: The existing and previous abuse fully commited by a celebration or member of the party’s home, whether or not there is a continued chance of damage to the youngster or an abused occasion and which occasion can superior provide ample physical safeguards and supervision of the kid.
The 15th factor reads: The mental and physical situation of a social gathering or member of a party’s domestic.
Choose Trauger had before him all the aforementioned information and authorized direction yet decided allowing Kayden an right away keep alone with her father was proper. His thought method on this point is unfathomable.
That Trauger continues sitting down on the county bench is past troubling. A alter.org petition urging his removal has virtually 47,000 signatures. Kayden’s mom and husband, Brian, have filed an illegal demise fit against Trauger. The distressing story goes on and on.
Here’s hoping Kayden’s Regulation gets legislation and safeguards young children the way Trauger did not. One thing very good coming of a little something horrific. At the very least there is that.
But for an egregious ruling by a spouse and children court choose, Kayden Mancuso would have just graduated fourth quality at Edgewood Elementary Faculty, and invested the summertime actively playing softball, drawing, and enjoying her American Woman dolls. Oh, what may well have been. What will hardly ever be. That is anything with which Trauger has to reside.
To are living. Some thing a minimal female gone also soon has been cruelly denied.
Columnist Phil Gianficaro can be attained at 215-345-3078, pgianficaro@theintell.com, and @philgianficaro on Twitter.