Feb 27, 2009 5:30 pm US/Eastern
DCF: Alleged Sex Abuse Should Have Been Reported
DCF Fears Amador's Music Students May Have Been Victimized
DCF: The Law Requires Aults Who Learn Of Alleged Child Abuse Report It
SW MIAMI DADE (CBS4) ―
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A father and wife, and two daughters were found shot to death Wednesday in their Southwest Miami-Dade home.
CBS
Child welfare officials say adults who knew of alleged sexual abuse in a home where a man killed his wife and two daughters and then himself should have reported it to authorities.
The Director of the Department of Children and Families spoke to
CBS4's Gary Nelson on Friday and said she was surprised to learn that adults knew of the alleged abuse in the Amador home but did not report it.
"If as a parent, your child tells you of another child who has been sexually abused and you're not sure about, make the call. It's anonymous; we will protect your identity and we will send in experts who can handle these kinds of delicate situations and who can work with families," said Jacqui Colyer, DCF Regional Director.
The mother of the school confidant who came forward with the sex abuse allegations regrets not taking action because her daughter did tell her about the sex abuse claims made by her daughter's friend.
"As an adult I feel very bad. I thought I could have done something, but I uh, told my daughter, 'We gotta do something,'" said the woman, whose identity
CBS4 News has not revealed.
Daniel Amador, Pablo's brother, was at the home Friday, incredulous at the media reports that Pablo for having published allegations that his brother had sexually abused one of his children. "I don't believe it."
When asked what might have prompted his brother to kill his wife and children, he said, "I don't know. I don't know what happened; I don't know what's going on."
Daniel Amador said that the family is thinking of retaining an attorney to sue media outlets who have "defamed [his] family."
Music teacher Pablo Amador shot and killed his wife Maria and two of his daughters; 13-year old Rosa and 14-year Priscila before he turned the gun on himself in their Southwest Miami-Dade home Wednesday morning, according to police.
Two other children survived his shooting rampage. Javier, 16, escaped the shooting by fleeing into a nearby home where he called 911 operators. Twenty-year old Beula "Bea" was attending classes at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, where she is a music student.
In the days after the shooting, Miami-Dade police detectives began looking into reports of sexual abuse after two classmates of one of the murdered girls reported that she told them she suffered years of sexual abuse at the hands of her father.
One of the classmates said her friend confided to her that "Her dad was sexually abusing her." In an interview with
CBS4's Gary Nelson, she added, "She didn't want to let anyone know. This weekend she told me she cut herself and to pray for her, because she wanted to kill herself." The classmate added, "Over the last two days, she was emotionless in school. All she said was to pray for her."
DCF's Coyler is also concerned that Pablo Amador's music students may have also been abused. She urges their parents to have a frank talk with the children. The law requires that adults who learn of alleged child abuse report it.
In response to the outpouring of sympathy from the community for the Amador family, the University of Miami established a fund to assist Beula and her brother, Javier.
Please include on the checks that funds are for the benefit of the Amador Family, and make payable to:
The University of Miami
PO Box 248073
Coral Gables, FL 33124
Click here to read University of Miami President Donna Shalala's statement.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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