Angela Pollina's reaction to Thomas Valva verdict is sickening
Angela Pollina with her lawyer at Suffolk Court in Riverhead, where she was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years to life in the death of 8-year-old Thomas Valva. Credit: James Carbone
Angela Pollina is not ready to accept a lengthy prison term [“Attorney: Verdict upset Pollina,” News, April 11]. Really? Her comments to her attorney made me sick to my stomach.
That poor little boy, Thomas Valva, was not ready to be abused and eventually murdered by two adults who were supposed to be the “better” parents to care for him and his brother.
She’s distraught? How does she think the people who loved Thomas feel?
It’s “crazy” to her attorney, Matthew Tuohy, that Pollina can’t speak to her daughters by order of the Family Court? Thomas’ mother will never again get to speak to her son.
— Kathleen Kelly, Nesconset
The article reiterates, “The teachers and school officials called Child Protective Services many times, including a group effort to ‘flood’ a CPS reporting line, but the boys remained living with [Michael] Valva and Angela] Pollina.”
Is this the end of this story for CPS? They seem to always get off the hook [“As probes drag, ‘children’s lives at stake,’ ” News, April 11].
I have worked with CPS in previous professional positions in Nassau County and found its personnel not helpful at all.
Why is there no accountability for this organization?
— Elizabeth Greenberg, Glen Cove
It is an outrage that Suffolk County still has not started the investigations and fixes that were promised three years ago. The anticipated probes and revamping of CPS, along with more transparency, have amounted to nothing.
How many more children must die or be injured by abusive parents for those in leadership to finally act and get laws changed and/or strengthened?
It is disgusting that we don’t investigate cases more thoroughly before awarding custody. The courts and lawyers seem to blindly follow the precedent of shared custody or, worse, award custody to the parent who has the money to hire a better attorney.
— Brenda Reiss, Commack
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR DAILY CONVERSATION. Email your opinion on the issues of the day to letters@newsday.com. Submissions should be no more than 200 words. Please provide your full name, hometown, phone numbers and any relevant expertise or affiliation. Include the headline and date of the article you are responding to. Letters become the property of Newsday and are edited for all media. Due to volume, readers are limited to one letter in print every 45 days. Published letters reflect the ratio received on each topic.
