The child protection department in Connecticut claims it looked into six different concerns regarding the welfare of a boy over almost ten years, but found insufficient proof to remove him from the Waterbury home where he was allegedly held captive for years.
On Tuesday, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) released the results of an internal inquiry that examined the agency’s handling of the boy’s situation.
According to the report, DCF employees visited the house both formally and informally between 1996 and 2005, sometimes even stopping by after hours to talk to family members.
The organization also conducted interviews with children at the household, but the children did not report any instances of abuse or neglect.
“Based on the information available and the statutory requirements in place at the time, we did not have sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations or remove the child from the home,” according to a DCF report.
After the 32-year-old accused victim set fire to his house in February 2025 in what police say was a desperate attempt to secure his release, the agency has come under scrutiny for its engagement with the family.
According to police, Kimberly Sullivan, the boy’s stepmother, has been holding her stepson captive in a small room that is closed from the outside since he was about 11 years old.
Authorities said the man, who was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 68 pounds when firefighters found him earlier this year, had serious muscle atrophy.
Sullivan, 57, entered a not guilty plea to the allegations of assault and kidnapping.
The kid informed investigators that after school officials contacted authorities regarding his behavior, which included eating food from the trash out of hunger, his family pulled him out of school in the fourth grade.
According to information made public by DCF this week, the boy’s family may have last communicated with the agency at that time.
Staff inspected the house and noted if food was available, the agency said. According to the agency, an investigator also had a conversation with the child’s pediatrician, who did not voice any concerns.
During that period, DCF said that it was in constant contact with the school nurse and the pediatrician to see whether the youngster had a medical problem that could account for his “small stature and foodseeking behavior.”
According to DCF’s response, state law prohibits the agency from disclosing its records to the public. In order to prevent interfering with the ongoing criminal investigation, DCF said it would not be making any more comments.
“Our hearts remain with this young man along with his extended family members, friends and others who know him and have been impacted,” said the organization. “We keep him and the unspeakable trauma he has endured at front of mind.”
In a scathing statement, Sullivan’s attorney chastised DCF for expressing sympathy for the claimed victim and supporting the accusations made against her.
The agency’s brief explanation of the case, according to lawyer Ioannis Kaloidis, is a “calculated maneuver” to avoid scrutiny, and its distribution compromises Sullivan’s right to a fair trial.
Despite interviewing people involved several times, DCF found “no evidence of abuse or neglect,” according to Kaloidis.
Additionally, he charged lawmakers with “political opportunism.”
In the statement, Kaloidis declared, “This is a miscarriage of justice,” “Protestations by bureaucrats and politicians aside, Kimberly Sullivan looks forward to her day in court where she can directly confront her accuser before a jury of her peers and his baseless accusations will fall aside for lack of proof.”
Following a private discussion with members of the Committee on Children on Tuesday, DCF issued its report.
The committee’s co-chair, state senator Ceci Maher, said in a statement that DCF offered more transparency and explained how its processes had evolved in recent years. In order to better protect children in the future, Maher continued, it’s critical to comprehend how the case developed.
“I hope to receive more updates from them as more information is available with the ongoing legal case,” Maher stated. “To ensure that tragedies like these don’t happen again, I will keep collaborating with advocates and colleagues to evaluate and modernize our DCF and educational oversight statutes.
After receiving a call from DCF, Waterbury police revealed that they had previously visited the boy’s house to see how he was doing in 2005.
Fernando C. Spagnolo, the chief of police in Waterbury, previously told Connecticut Public that his officers handled service requests at the residence properly and that, based on their views, there was no need for any action.
According to Spagnolo, “the officers responded to the house, interviewed the people inside, and interviewed the victim himself in a thorough manner.” “They didn’t really need to do anything unusual at that moment.
