Report: Girl Visited Hospital Week Before Death

Group Says DFPS Bruising Should Have Been Red Flag

Jack Fink

A week before her death, a 6-year-old girl was taken to a Lancaster hospital where medical personnel found "severe bruising to her forehead, both cheeks, neck, shoulders, arms, back and chest. There were severe bruises and abrasions to her pelvis and severe bruising on her back below the waist and on her buttocks."

A Department of Family and Protective Services spokesperson said the victim Katherine Frances and 8- year-old sister claimed they were fighting with each other.

Their foster mother was home on Nov. 25 and took them to the hospital.

The girls were removed from the foster home for several days but both were returned to the home.

"At the time, the concern was making sure the foster parents adequately supervised them and to make sure they didn't hurt each other," explained DFPS' Marissa Gonzales.

The director of the Texas Association for the Protection of Children said there should have been obvious questions about those injuries.

"Somebody made a serious error in thinking the child's outcry was accurate. This looks more than what a 6-year-old could do to an 8-year-old or vice versa," Madeline McClure said.

Since the child's death on Wednesday, officials have learned they've learned the girls' 11-year-old brother and 14-year-old foster brother also may have been fighting and that hair brushes and the lid of a hamper were used.

McClure said the state agency's current mission statement needs to be adjusted.

"If they're really going to stop the flow of children coming into the foster care system, or stop them from being abused to begin with, we've got to take a serious look at those effective child abuse prevention programs."

CBS 11 visited foster home, but no one was home.

The 14-year-old boy's aunt had previously denied the teen killed the 6-year-old. She said there's been a rush to judgment about what happened inside the home.