Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Abuse claims unsubstantiated

Allegations that Terri Schiavo had been abused or mistreated were international news in the final days of her life. Now the truth is being revealed about those baseless charges, but nobody is paying attention.

Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer ordered the release of nine abuse reports compiled by the Department of Children and Families at the request of the St. Petersburg Times and other news organizations. The reports list 89 complaints between 2001 and late 2004 about Schiavo's care, including dozens that came in around the time her feeding tube was removed for short periods in 2001 and 2003.

The number of complaints substantiated by state investigators who made unannounced visits to Schiavo: 0.

The allegations ranged from the care of Schiavo's teeth to the condition of her skin. One claimed she had been injected with insulin. Another charged there were puncture wounds. DCF investigators found no merit to any of the charges. They often praised the care Schiavo received, and they never found Michael Schiavo withheld care from his wife or was discourteous.

The reports do not include the final flurry of allegations made about Schiavo's care, but they are a definitive response to wild allegations about her treatment over the years. They also add further context to Gov. Jeb Bush's last-ditch effort to place Schiavo in state custody and reconnect her feeding tube while more abuse allegations were investigated. The spotless record reaffirms there was no justification for trying to override years of court rulings and Schiavo's end-of-life wishes.

The Schiavo case will come into sharper focus as time passes. An upcoming autopsy report should provide further clarity about her condition. The distortions and inaccuracies that were shouted as facts before Schiavo's death should not be allowed to permanently drown out the truth.

[Last modified April 20, 2005, 02:56:36]