JURIST - Paper Chase: Florida agency probing Schiavo abuse allegations

[JURIST] After a Thursday ruling thwarted an effort to keep court petitions private [AP report], documents filed by Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) [official website] related to the case of 41-year-old Terri Schiavo were made public Friday. The DCF is seeking a further 60-day stay of the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube so it may investigate nearly 30 allegations of "abuse, neglect or exploitation" by her husband, Michael Schiavo. The allegations in the DCF documents included failure to investigate experimental medical procedures; denial of legal counsel; lack of communication and visitation; and lack of manipulation of Terri Schiavo's arms, "causing severe contractures." Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos [profile] has said that DCF's effort to intervene in the tube removal "reeks of political arm-twisting." Judge George Greer, who last Friday extended the stay against the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube until March 18 [JURIST report], is expected to hear oral arguments on the DCF's claims next week. AP has more.

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