The letters from the state’s Office of Children & Family Services called the allegations of child abuse unfounded.
“No credible evidence was found to believe that the child[ren] has been abused or maltreated,” the letter stated.
But the photographs of 5-year-old Eain Clayton Brooks tell a different story.
Two photos, which relatives of the slain boy provided to The Buffalo News, show large blistered burns on his right cheek.
In another, his right eye is nearly swollen shut.
Eain’s grandmother took the photos as evidence of the boy’s abuse, which she said came at the hands of Matthew Kuzdzal, who was charged two weeks ago with killing the boy.
The grandmother and other relatives say they made repeated complaints over the course of 10 months to the state and the Erie County’s Child Protective Services, and pleaded with caseworkers to get Kuzdzal away from the boy.
That never happened.
That’s why the grieving family members, who are also blaming the county agency, shared several letters that say caseworkers could find no proof to allegations of child abuse.
The letters exonerated both Kuzdzal and Nora Brooks, Eain’s mother. The three shared a home in Buffalo’s Lovejoy neighborhood and then on Albany Street on the city’s West Side.
Robin Hart, the boy’s grandmother and the mother of Nora Brooks, said Kuzdzal manipulated caseworkers and her daughter.
“Matt was a manipulator, and when the caseworkers believed Matt, Nora believed them,” she said.
The News sought comment from Child Protective Services about the family’s allegations, but agency officials will not talk about the case because of prohibitions by state law, said Peter Anderson, spokesman for the county.
But he added, “As the county executive has stated, if mistakes were made, people will be held accountable.”
The state is now investigating how the county Child Protective Services handled Eain’s case, as well as reviewing other open cases in Erie County.
“From what I’ve seen, for Child Protective Services to state that the reports of child abuse are unfounded, it seems to me to be a dereliction of duty on behalf of Child Protective Services. They failed to do their job to protect Eain Brooks,” said State Sen. Tim Kennedy, D-Buffalo, who met last week with Hart at her Lovejoy home. “The images of Eain are some of the most horrific things I have ever seen in my life.”