Letter: Shved custody case has been a travesty of justice
In response to Gerry Jackson’s letter (TCH, Sept. 21) regarding the Shved case — this entire case has been a travesty of justice to the children, foster parents and the biological parents.
Commissioner Potts is simply enforcing a superior court order that the previous commissioner refused to enforce. After it was proven that DSHS was wrong in its allegations that Mrs. Shved abused her daughter and that Mr. Shved did not provide protection to them, all criminal charges were dismissed and Mrs. Shved was released from prison after serving time for a crime that never happened. I find it appalling and completely unacceptable that the biological parents are still being forced to live without their children. Where is the empathy for them?
As a taxpayer and a parent, I am concerned with the inability that DSHS seems to have with performing its job correctly. This agency has now ruined the lives of two families with one case. I wonder how many millions of dollars this blunder will cost the taxpayers.
Perhaps it is time for a total overhaul of DSHS.
Stacey Struthers, Kennewick
This story was originally published September 23, 2016 at 4:28 AM with the headline "Letter: Shved custody case has been a travesty of justice."