4 year old girl in foster care with Pamela Graham and her live in girlfriend Geralyn Graham, disappeared from the home in December 2000. DCF did not notice she was gone until April 2002 due to falsified reports. When Florida DCF finally realized Rilya was missing, Geralyn claimed a state worker had taken Rilya for testing and never returned with her. Geralyn had a criminal record, including fraud and grand theft, which was not discovered by DCF when they approved the foster home. She used many aliases and claimed at times that she was Rilya's Grandmother and/or that Pamela was her sister. After Rilya disappeared, Geralyn applied for food stamps based on having Rilya in her home. Eleven people were fired by DCF when Rilya's disappearance became known.
Prior to Rilya's disappearance, Geralyn Graham beat her with a switch, tied her to her bed by her wrists, glued a Halloween mask to her face, and confined her to a dog crate.

Though Rilya's body has not been found, in 2005, Geralyn Graham was charged with murder, child abuse and kidnapping after she allegedly confessed to a jail cellmate.

Date: 2002-04-01

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Economic exploitation, Death by unknown cause

Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Kendall, Florida
United States

See map: Google Maps

3 boys and 2 girls were routinely beaten, drugged and sexually abused in the foster home of Juanita and Jose Miranda. The 6th child mentioned is a bio child. The children were forced to perform sexual acts with Jose and each other in a  padlocked room in the basement. Juanita had been arrested numerous times, jailed and had lost custody of her 2 bio children to California CPS prior to getting her Washington foster care license. At least 35 complaints over 7 years were submitted to Wash DSHS.

Foster father Jose Miranda confessed and was convicted of three counts of first-degree child rape, two counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of third-degree assault of a child. He died in jail. Foster mother Juanita Miranda was never charged and died of a drug overdose.

Date: 2011-08-01

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Sexual abuse

Abuser: Foster father, Foster mother

Location

Tacoma, Washington
United States

See map: Google Maps

3 sisters were placed in foster care or guardianship of Don Copley and Beverly K. Copley after the oldest sister was raped by the girls' father Kenneth Copley. Don D. Copley is Kenneth's brother and the girl's uncle. The girls were aged 13, 7 and 6 when placed with the Copleys in 1991.Sexual abuse of the 3 girls began almost immediately and continued for many years. Foster mother Beverly Copley, aka Doris Copley, was aware of the abuse. Charges were brought in 2012 when it appears another family victim was being abused.

Don Dallas Copley pleaded guilty to 15 counts of rape for the 3 sisters and was sentenced to 60 years. Beverly's case is pending.

Date: 2012-02-28

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Sexual abuse

Abuser: Foster father, Foster mother

Location

proctorville, Ohio
United States

See map: Google Maps

Ten days after being removed from his parent's care, 2.5 year old Alexander Laws was hospitalized with injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Foster mother Kasondra Martinsen left Alexander and a 6 year old foster child with her friend 21 year old Osbaldo "Nanno" Sanchez while she worked. Osbaldo Sanchez was not an approved child care provider, and he did not seek medical care for the child after he injured him.

Date: 2012-11-10

Placement type: Adoption

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect

Abuser: Other non-family member

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada
United States

See map: Google Maps

5 month old girl died after being abused by Wilson Lee Tubbs III, aka Josh Tubbs. She had 2 skull fractures and numerous bruises after being in the home about 5 weeks. Tubbs' wife was related to the baby girl's parents

Date: 2012-12-02

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse

Abuser: Foster father

Location

Fort Bragg, California
United States

See map: Google Maps

6 year old boy in Kotovo, Volgograd Russia was severely beaten by his foster mother for taking a piece of candy.

Date: 2012-02-24

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse

Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Kotovo, Volgograd
Russia

A primary school-aged foster girl is raped by an employee of Family and Community Services, whose job it was to protect her.

Date: 2012-11-23

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Sexual abuse

Abuser: Other non-family member

Location

Newcastle, New South Wales
Australia

A teen-aged girl in New South Wales Australia was sexually abuse by her 65 year old foster father.

Date: 2012-11-30

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Sexual abuse

Abuser: Foster father

Location

Newcastle, New South Wales
Australia

11 year old boy in foster care had burns on his legs and genitals and was dehydrated. His foster mother Sharanda Hammock and her girlfriend Cecily Sharp were charged with second-degree battery and permitting child abuse.

Date: 2012-11-04

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse

Abuser: Foster mother, Other non-family member

Location

Fayetteville, Arkansas
United States

See map: Google Maps

7 year old girl died of septic shock caused by the prolonged abuse she suffered from her guardians: Donna Irving and her boyfriend, Warren Johnson. Katelyn had 70 wounds on her body at her death, and blood was found throughout the apartment, including in closets, on books, and a plastic baseball bat. While she lay dying, Johnson went out to buy beer, twice.

Irving and Johnson were friends of Katelynn's mother. Since Bernice Sampson directly gave guardianship, no background checks were performed, though a judge had 3 hearings to grant permanent custody. Irving and Johnson were drug users, Irving had lost custody of her 2 children already.  Several reports of abuse had been filed.

Date: 2008-08-03

Placement type: Legal Guardianship

Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse, Lethal neglect

Abuser: Legal guardian

Location

Toronto, Ontario
Canada

See map: Google Maps

At least 2 children in foster care with Mark Daniel O'Brien allege they were molested. O'Brien was charged with sodomy, molestation, and possession of child pornography.

Date: 2012-01-31

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Sexual abuse

Abuser: Foster father

Location

Republic, Missouri
United States

See map: Google Maps

At least one and maybe 3 boys aged 2, 4, and 6 were sexually assaulted by a 13 year old foster brother "T". All 4 children were in the same foster home in Calgary. The 13 year old said he got the idea from watching gay pornography available in the home.

Date: 2012-01-03

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Sexual abuse

Abuser: Foster sibling

Location

calgary, Alberta
Canada

See map: Google Maps

A Leeds UK father and son sexually abused and took pornographic pictures of  two young children in foster care of the father.

The father admitted a number of sex offences against children including four offences of rape of a child, two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of making indecent images of a child. He was jailed for 10 years and eight months. The son pleaded guilty to four offences of sexual activity with a child, five of sexual assault of a child and two of making indecent photographs of a child. The son was given an indeterminate prison after a report into his behaviour stated that he had “uncontrollable urges” towards children.

Date: 2012-05-15

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Sexual abuse, Sexual exploitation

Abuser: Adoptive father, Adopted sibling

Location

Leeds, West Yorkshire
United Kingdom

2 year old boy in foster care with Mary Enzenbacher was severely beaten by her live-in boyfriend Anthony Walton. Mary observed the beatings over a few days but refused to seek medical treatment.

Date: 2012-08-21

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect

Abuser: Other non-family member

Location

Cincinnati, Ohio
United States

See map: Google Maps

Braxton Taylor died at almost 10 months from brain swelling due to shaking. He also had a cauliflower ear, a bruised groin, crushed testicles and weighed less at his death than at his 6 month checkup. His second foster mother Kathleen Ganiere pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Date: 2010-02-07

Placement type: Foster care

Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation

Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Virginia Beach, Virginia
United States

See map: Google Maps