by Georgia Daniel
A Brooklyn baby died at home three months after a judge released her back to her abusive parents. The parents, Lafayette Browne and Johnson Vitalis , lost custody of the child at just three weeks old when they gained custody back thanks to Judge Erik Pitchal.
Lafayette Browne allegedly told authorities that the baby, Ella, had been choking while Johnson Vitalis was feeding her and attributed the injuries to drinking to much milk. She was put on life support when she died.
Judge Erik Pitchal was the judge who released Ella and her older brother back into custody with their abusive parents on June 15, 2023. There was another incident several months before the court hearing while the kids were still in foster care when Ella’s tongue was lacerated while her father left her alone with her during a visit.
I interviewed Upper School Science teacher Dawn Peele on this topic. I asked her what her thoughts were about this case, and she said, “It's so sad; a heart wrenching situation. We should all ask why and how. This is a clear sign social workers are overworked or that there is as lack of them, and it may be a good idea to increase numbers of trained social works."
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