Why did Daytona Robertson have to die?

Practically everybody knew 2-year-old Daytona Robertson was being abused -- but nobody was able to stop the Wichita toddler from being beaten to death in February. The Eagle has a look at how the system failed a little girl.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Sara Shepherd!

Comments

[Ni]

This is a very sad story. The parents need to take responsibility instead of shifting blame to the system. There's no way in hell my child would be covered in bruises and I not contact the police.

[Tam]

Ni, did you find the story a bit confusing?

At the first sign of ANY abuse, I would have been on the phone to authorities and been documenting everything.

The mother and father are both blaming the system, yet not one time in the article did either one of them place the blame on themselves, OR the woman accused of murdering this child.

I am really confused about the biological daughter of the accused being killed in the same child care providers home... and this happened AFTER Daytona was killed?

WAY confused.

[Juls]

This is a sad story and I really think they need to look in the Step Moms baby that died the end of March? Maybe the babysitter did not "involuntary manslaughter" the infant. Sounds like Step Mom has a very wicked side.

[wtf]

I guess there wasn't enough proof that the child was being abused for them to go in and remove the child. They didn't want to step on anyone's rights.

[zyreah]

WOW!

Neither of the parents blame anyone but the system? Now, mom only had 4hrs of SUPERVISED visitation a week...and the bruises kept appearing AT DAD'S HOUSE, despite this fact. The father acknowledges he noticed, but not once thought that maybe mom wasn't the culprit. Perhaps he's a little "special" or slow, but more likely, it seems DAD would be the most negligent party.

Now, the second baby dying...even more questions.

[Ni]

Tam the story was very confusing. I thought it was odd that the step-mom said don't worry about the red marks on her bottom. If the bruises were as bad as the dad was describing I would have been on the phone to police immediately. It sounds like more than one person was responsible for Daytona’s death.

[Tam]

Ni, my thoughts exactly.

[Rosie]

People are outraged about this but not about a mother beating her daughter with a leather strap. I don't get the distinction. The daughter beaten with the strap did not die. Is that why? We should be outraged about any beating of a child.

This story indeed has unanswered questions. I tend to think that the parents were inattentive and scared of what each other would accuse the other of in not reporting this ongoing abuse.

Custody battles are vicious by nature and full of accusations which may or may not be accurate. Judges have to sort out who is telling the truth. Frequently they make the wrong decision. It happened with my stepchildren, who were returned to their meth-addicted mother & grandfather (who were married to each other). Only by the grace of God, the mother said she didn't want her son and we got custody of him -- severely disturbed, but he came to us and had a few years of a normal life until his father died and I lost him back to his mother.

This baby did not have to die. People need to get involved, people need to insist on being heard, on making themselves a nuisance if need be, to save an endangered child. Don't give up, keep trying.

[Jane]

Even after two children are dead.. they just keep on having children.:( I truly hope that SRS removes the next child from both the parents!

heres the dad's myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/robertson77j

[Tammy]

Well, Awake up call for those who have not been in a custody battle, I would suggest you take time out of your routine and firmly place your feet in front of a judge here in Sedgwick County. If you have not been though this then how can you say you would do this or that? I am going through a custody battle, and I have been infront of Judge Powell, not once has anyone asked me my reasons for leaving? NO!! Its about clearing the court room and the past does not count cause no one there cares(why should thy its not their precious child)its some else's. Then 2 weeks later we read about how many children are in foster care and there is not enough room for them anywhere. Until we stand up for what is right and to get the courts to see the past behaviors of people without willingness to change do we stand a chance? Daytona, I do not know you but, I love you. You have inspired my spirit to fight for what is right. With out truth how can there be Justice?

[allie]

I knew the family. I was close to the family. The father was not slow or special.
He was a good father. The bruises stopped after the mom had suprived vists. Daytona was a loving little girl. Its sad to see her gone but she is in a better place now.

[Tiara]

Now, I know the oldest son, Devin and everytime he mentions his sister you can hear the hurt in his voice. I feel so bad for him and his family. For losing his little sister.
I'm not going to say that I know Devin well enough to know anything about the situation but I know the step mother is NI. But, the father should of called the authorities when the bruises first started appearing. I've seen pictures of Daytona and she was a very pretty girl.
I want whomever was responsible to know they didn't just kill a little girl, the took the life of someone's little sister. Her name lives with her older brother on his chest, with the tattoo one of my good friends did.
My prayers are with the family and I know she'll always be in her brother's heart.

[hanna]

i know the family. tommy was a good father and loved his daughter more than anything. tasha was a good mother as well. they tried to have srs come in and investigate and it didn't happen.

until you know the whole story lets not bash on their parenting skills because they did what they could in the situation.

and dont even start to talk about having children removed from their homes. neither of them did anything to that little girl. it was the dumb bitch katie cornejo who did the abusing. until you've heard directly from them and not the news sources, shut up. thanks.

I love ya tommy!!

[MotherOf2]

How many children must die in our state? This has to stop. No good parent would allow a child to have bruises, and do nothing.

If you know of abuse, or are a victim of Political or Judicial corruption, then you have blood on your hands if you do not speak out.

[babysitter]

i knew the family too and tommy and tasha were great parents...... i love both of them and i was the babysitter until tommy got daytona taken!!! she was not getting hurt at natasha's i was there 50% of the time... Tasha couldnt even give day day a spanking. how would she be abusing her????Like I said i love them both and they were great to Daytona....... Dont blame the system blame your self...........

[tammy williams]

for everyones imformation..the police were called on suspected child abuse and a judge was contacted about it, and the judge with all his wisdom...not...gave my granddaughter to the abuser, and he did this with out an investigation!! so until you no the facts dont tell out family not to blame the system!!!