Release records of abuse horrors

On Jan. 17, 2020, Thomas Valva arrived at a hospital with a body temperature of 76 degrees, then died of hypothermia. Police say surveillance video shows Thomas, 8, and his then-10-year-old brother, Anthony, had to sleep on the bare concrete floor of the garage in the 2,700-square-foot, four bedroom house in Center Moriches, on a night when the temperature hit 19 degrees.

The death spurred enormous outrage on Long Island, demands to find out what went wrong and promises to fix the child welfare system. But 18 months later a county legislative panel created to investigate Valva’s death and recommend reforms to Suffolk’s Child Protective Services still doesn’t have the information it’s requested from the Department of Social Services.

Now a Suffolk County judge is reviewing the records to determine if the informtion can be handed over. The panel sued for release of the records but DSS refused, citing state law that prohibits public disclosure. But that law allows for the release of records to law enforcement, judges, and "state or local investigative agencies."

Such disclosure rules are meant to protect victims. Thomas can no longer be protected. It appears the county is withholding the records, to protect itself instead.

It’s been three years since DSS investigated child neglect accusations against Thomas’ father, Michael Valva, and his then-fiance, Angela Pollina. A judge ordered a year of home supervision by DSS, and issued orders of protection for Thomas and his two brothers that demanded Valva and Pollina "refrain from harmful behaviors toward the children, and take parenting classes.

After that year, Child Protective Services received additional complaints of abuse. And teachers and the boys’ mother, Justyna Zubko-Valva continued to make calls to Suffolk Protective Services and the Nassau and Suffolk Police Departments alleging Thomas and his brothers were being abused.

Zubko-Valva, who had not seen Thomas for two years at the time of his death after losing a bitter custody battle, had spoken out for years via a Twitter account, "StandAgainstChildAbuse," that included documentation and audio and video evidence she felt proved the boys’ abuse at the hands of Valva and Pollina.

It’s also been three years since the nanny for the boys, Amanda Wildman, quit, because, she says, she could no longer stand abuse of the children that included both verbal attacks and making them sit immobile till they urinated on themselves, then punishing them for it. Thomas and one of his brothers are on the autism spectrum.

Judges knew Thomas Valva was being abused. So did teachers and DSS workers and cops. His death is a failure of the system. Investigations that lead to reforms are necessary.

Withholding information on the systemic failures that left Thomas vulnerable cannot protect him. Our chance to protect Thomas Valva is gone.

But releasing that information so the ills of the system can be diagnosed and corrected could protect Suffolk’s most vulnerable children from the avoidable tragedy that befell this poor boy.