Naheem and Delilah |
The settlement amount was announced Tuesday at a brief hearing in federal court in Honolulu.
Tarshia
Williams filed the lawsuit against the government over the 2005 death
of her daughter, Talia. The lawsuit, filed in Honolulu in 2008, claimed
the military didn't report to the proper authorities that Talia's father
and stepmother "abused and tortured" her throughout the seven months
she lived in Army housing in Hawaii.
"I
will never have complete closure because my daughter is gone," she said
by phone after the hearing. "And all the abuse she went through, I will
never get over that. My healing will never be complete."
Talia's stepmother, Delilah Williams, testified against her husband as part of a deal with prosecutors for a 20-year sentence. She provided disturbing details of abuse that included withholding food for days at a time, keeping her out of school to hide from others the physical signs of beatings and whipping the child while she was duct-taped to a bed.
Talia died July 16, 2005, after prosecutors say her father dealt a blow so hard it left knuckle imprints on her chest.
The settlement brings some relief because it ends years of litigation and prevents Tarshia Williams from having to return to Hawaii for a nonjury trial that was scheduled for June, she said.
"I
just been through it last year," she said of testifying at the murder
trial and sitting through graphic accounts of what Talia suffered. "I
don't have to go through all the things that happened to her all over
again. It will always be in my mind. It will never go away."
At
Naeem Williams' trial, she testified that the last time she saw Talia
was when the child left South Carolina to live with her father in
Hawaii. She said the last time she spoke to Talia was by telephone on
July 2, 2005.
The settlement
has been approved by the Justice Department and will be paid in about
six to eight weeks, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Helper said in court.
He declined to comment after the hearing.
Tarshia
Williams and her Honolulu attorneys want to work on federal legislation
that that would require the military to directly report child abuse to
state child protective services, said one of her attorneys, Mark Davis.
"We
hope that what may come out of this case are some fundamental, systemic
changes," Davis said. "There were so many opportunities that were
missed to try to remove this child from this toxic environment."
A
judge's 2010 ruling noted some of those missed opportunities, including
one on June 29, 2005. "The military police responded to the Williams'
home, but despite finding Talia, 'naked and mute, in a room standing
near feces on the floor' and thinking 'something did not look right,' no
reports were ever made to CPS," said the order by U.S. District Judge
Alan Kay in allowing the lawsuit to move forward.
"She would be about 15 now," Tarshia Williams said. "She would be in high school."
39 comments:
They tried. Rip to the girl
Cruel world
But in Nig u get nothing, she would have even paid police fr statement
@ million would never replace her child!! Never
Omg!
So sad no matter d amount of money it can neva bring back her daughter, but d money will go a long way
People are wicked, thank God she won de case.
a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said..
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May the soul of the little gal RIP.....
.
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***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Luv the way the justice system works in that clime.It punishes a culprit in a way that seems fair to both the accused and the complainant.
Although no amount could equal the worth of her precious daughter, but it would go a long way to provide some sort of closure for her.
May the soul of the girl continue to rest in peace.
~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA
eyaa...DAT father is hrtess
Like d gal knew it wld b 2million wit d expression of 2 on d foto. Sowi baby gal.
Dts terrible too,bt d woman don turn ova nyt million ooo hp D's won't mk oda pple 2 commit d same crime too.tk hrt o.
Wow, that's alotta money
She's lucky she won d case, though d loss of a child is nt a cool thing
HBD to me
No amount of money is worth the life of a child.The evil man that calls himself a father should be dealt with in jail.He must suffer for the pains he inflicted on that innocent child.
What mother was she if she let the child live with the father and stepmother. I have to ask what mother but a selfish one will do that to let the child go. More story is needed here.
Even $trillion can't bring her back....RIP tho.
Well no amount of money cn eva equal d loss of her daughter..but thankGod she won d case..dat shows hw effective d judicial system abroad is...I only pray ours will be like dat someday..#By Gods grace
Glad she is finding closure
How do ppl like dis sleep at night?
Must be a Black man
Eeeeeeeyah! May tgr girl's soul rest in peace. Congrats to the woman. Linda take note!
Awwwww so sad! Rip to the lil gal
Thank God she won d case!
I no in nija u cant even sue demðŸ˜
Money can never give her joy or motherhood so no amount will ever compensate her lost, they should pay her billions or put her on monthly pay of million because that child could have done that. Sorry ma'am G-d console you
Money filled with emotions.
May the little girl's soul rest in peace..amen
OKORO UPGRADED**
wow! hw can a father be dis cruel to her own daughter.
sometimes i marvel at how wicked some people could be
i will kill bonario nnags and hope to receive some money from his community cos hes annonying
She don hammer
Justice well deserve, and I thank God she won d case. God bless her, and I wish her well.
No amount of money can replace her child.
Am happy she won but sad the little girl is gone
Continue 2 R.I.P lil princess.
WHAT THE HELL????? Pls pardon my french but as a mother, why on earth would i leave my daughter to be raised by her father and step mother? i would fight with the last drop of blood in my body to make sure i win custody of my child... No Now! it's just wrong all the way. Call me judgmental but that is just my take. whether 2 million, 100 million,whatever trillion, absolutely no amount of money can erase the guilt the mother must feel.... RIP baby girl..
how would they have protected the girl from her father
MAY GO STRENGTEN THE LADY AND MAY THE CHILD'S SOUL REST IN PEACE
RIP to her, I'm glad her mom was somewhat compensated
This is the problem with Nigerians. Always pointing fingers. For the child to live with the father her obviously won custody rights. I can't begin to school you cos you will never get it. Your brain only works in one direction
That wasn't a real father. Kicked your own blood daughter in the chest? No no no! Not a real man.
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