PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office is investigating a Department of Human Services social worker for her role and alleged negligence in the death of a three-year-old child who was killed last July well in foster care.
According to District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office, three-year-old Hope Jones was killed by her foster mother Kiana Casey, who has since been charged with murder.
An autopsy by the Philadelphia medical examiner’s office found that Jones had numerous contusions and hemorrhages across her body, particularly on her arms and legs.
The medical examiner’s report concluded that the injuries were in various stages of healing at the time of her death, indicating that she had been severely abused and assaulted on multiple occasions.
Her foster mother Kiana Casey, was arrested on July 19th for her role in the young girl’s death on July 12th.
The District Attorney’s office is now investigating Jendayi Mawusi, the social worker in charge of monitoring the welfare of the child while under the supervision of Casey.
The city alleges Mawusi to be negligent and had failed to notice the child’s significantly and severely declined health over time. She failed to report reasonable cause to suspect that Jones was a victim of child abuse, according to District Attorney Krasner’s office.
“Mawusi’s final visit to Casey’s home as a Case Manager was on July 12, 2022 – shortly before emergency responders were called to the home and tried heroically to save 3-year-old Hope Jones’s life. As a Case Manager, Mawusi was a state-mandated reporter, meaning she was legally obligated to make a report if she had reasonable cause to suspect that Jones was a victim of child abuse. We allege that Mawusi repeatedly failed to investigate and intervene during what should have been obvious signs of physical harm inflicted on Hope Jones during her tragically short life,” the District Attorney’s Office said today.
“There are numerous additional details regarding this investigation that cannot be shared publicly at this time. I want to be clear that the outrageous and criminal actions by Mawusi require criminal accountability for her and a look at improving systems,” Krasner said today. “In no way are they a condemnation of social workers generally. We know that social work is among the most difficult and the most undervalued professions across the Commonwealth and the nation, not just here in Philadelphia.”