Advocate Of Barahona Children Vows To Protect Surviving Kids
MIAMI (CBS4) - The court-appointed advocate for the adoptive children of Carmen and Jorge Barahona says he is making it his mission in life to help them.
CBS4 caught up with Guardian Ad Litem Paul Neumann as he was making one of his regular visits to 10-year-old Victor. He was found badly burned with chemicals along with the body of his adoptive twin sister Nubia on February 14th off I-95 and inside their adoptive father's pesticide pickup truck.
Victor has been recovering in the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital and where he spoke for the first time to CBS4's Peter D'Oench.
"I don't know the prognosis," Neumann told D'Oench. "All I know is every time I go up and see him, he's smiling and laughing and in my eyes he's doing better. We just talk about fun things. We talk about what he likes to eat, the games he likes to play, his game boys. The nurses are giving him game boys and strangers are even calling up offering to give him an allowance."
Neumann was appointed to protect the interests of the Barahona children.
He had raised objections in 2008 when the Barahonas started to adopt the children. He's not allowed to talk about that right now but he can talk about how much this case upsets and concerns him.
"It pains me and as I'm talking to you, I'm trying to fight back tears a little bit because some days it pains me more than others, because I got to know the children a little bit."
"When you see people in the community reaching out to Victor, and these are people who don't know him, it makes you feel good," said Neumann.
Neumann works for free. For nine years, he has volunteered his time to help children.
"I just think it's important to help children," said Neumann. "You have adults who can do things to help each other, but children can not help themselves. They need somebody who can speak up for them."
"The message I have is to just take care of children in your community, beyond those in your family, love them all," Neumann said. "People need to do more than what's in their immediate area, do more than just help themselves. What better act is there than helping children? You can become a Guardian Ad Litem or help out with Make a Wish or Big Brothers or Big Sisters."
A blue-ribbon panel is meeting again Tuesday to discuss one of the worst child abuse cases in South Florida history.
"I hope they accomplish a lot," Neumann told D'Oench. "I hope a lot of good will come from this."
Click here to listen to a Barahona complaint called into the DCF abuse hotline.
