Boston, MA – Yesterday the case of Justina Pelletier and her family returned to court before Judge Johnston in the Suffolk County Juvenile Court in Boston. The case has been dragging on for 14 months, during which time she has been denied education, religious services or clergy visits, and has had abysmal or no medical care while in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). She has only been allowed one, hour-long, supervised visit per week with her mom and dad, and they have not been permitted to take photographs of their daughter or even talk to Justina about her medical condition.
Judge Johnston said he will rule by the end of the week on the request by Lou and Linda Pelletier, the parents of Justina, to return Justina to their home. “Our goal is to get Justina home with her parents as soon as possible. This case has been kicked down the road long enough. DCF has obstructed every effort to return Justina home. We will use every legal means available to end this nightmare the family has been living for the past 14 months,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.
This past weekend Justina was admitted to U Mass ER, but DCF did not notify the parents and has not told the parents the reason for the admission. “When the parents have the one-hour, supervised visit with Justina, DCF forbids them from talking about her medical condition. This is outrageous. No family should experience what DCF has done to this family,” said Staver.
Justina is now speaking out, and her words are being heard. Justina told her parents, “I feel like a prisoner.” She also asked, “Why can’t I go home with my parents?”
“My goal is to get Justina home,” Staver concluded.
Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
