April 16, 1999

Clara Mroz was videotaped assaulting one of the autistic clients in her adult care residence. After acknowledging that it was she on the tape, Ms. Mroz told Suisun City police that the young man had been in her "care" for 17 years. On video, he is seen naked, outdoors in 40 degree weather, being sprayed with a garden hose, struck with its nozzle, yanked around by the hair, and kicked in the groin.

His response was to cower, huddle in a corner of the patio, and hold his hands over his mouth. Oh, yes, he is autistic and ill-suited to articulate his pain or to report his tormentor. It would have gone undetected but for a neighbor who'd heard enough of Mroz's notorious rantings and upon seeing the abuse, took the opportunity to tape the harrowing session from his yard.

What will happen? If this case is typical, we'll hear calls for more and tighter regulations and/or cries of, "There ought to be a law." These are the currently popular methods by which we soothe our consciences over evils perpetrated against our fellow human beings, particularly those unable to defend themselves, but it's time to move past the model because it doesn't work.

So what can we do? First, to paraphrase Shakespeare, let's fire all the social services administrators--well, at least those directly involved with this case. The employees could include, but not be limited to, licensing program supervisor Jacqueline Sneed and the state's director of public awareness Sidonie Squier.

If that seems harsh, consider the allegations cited by these administrators in issuing the temporary suspension order: two years ago Mroz failed to report her employee son's arrest for child abuse, multiple incidents of clients being left unsupervised, and scalding tap water temperatures. On top of that, even after getting the anonymous tip, state social services just turned the videotape over to Suisun City police who then arrested and charged Mroz. Who needed the social services middlewomen?

Entrusting the safety of human beings to government doesn't work because bureaucracies don't have emotions and aren't accountable. It's an individual taking responsibility --like the good neighbor who cared--and enforcement of laws already on the books that saves victims like the abused client who lived in Clara's Family Home.

© 1999 Cynthia Hahn