I believe that it is my obligation to report serious concerns that I have as a Registered Nurse, and as a citizen of Maine.

Additionally, I am mandated to report, in good faith, child abuse and neglect. I feel ethically and morally bound to do what I can to protect children and others who are being abused. I no longer feel that I can remain silent with the knowledge that for nearly three years I have seen systems within state government ignore ongoing abuse of Mila Melanko, now years of age. !hese systems e"ist to protect all people, and most especially the most vulnerable. !hey include state and municipal law enforcement, the #epartment of $ealth and $uman %ervices&'ureau of (hild and )amily %ervices *'()%+, and others. I am sharing my thoughts because, in my opinion, many systems in Maine need to change. At age , years, - months Mila told me about se"ual abuse by her father. I reported this to '()% and that report, plus similar reports by other health care providers, initiated an investigation by '()%. Mila was e"amined medically and forensically at the %purwink (hild Abuse (linic. !he team there recommended only supervised visits between Mila and her father. #espite this recommendation, '()% closed the case, the .udge dismissed the case, and Mila resumed seeing her father, unsupervised. %he continued to report se"ual abuse to her mother, by her father. In addition, '()% and the Maine %tate /olice have chosen to ignore0 a very high dose of methamphetamine in Mila1s urine *tested after her father was summonsed for stealing cough syrup from a supermarket+2 the fact that Mila was with him when he was caught stealing the cough syrup2 a disclosure about her father 3blowing 4mith1 in my face52 a drawing depicting how her father 3sniffs rocks52 an affidavit from #r. 6arl 'aum, /ediatric !o"icologist at 7ale8New $aven Medical (enter validating the danger to Mila of the high dose of methamphetamine2 a bruise on Mila1s forehead and a disclosure by Mila that her father hit her in the head with a pan because she was crying2 an affidavit from #r. 9li Neuberger, child abuse e"pert at 'oston1s (hildren1s $ospital e"pressing concern about this blow to Mila1s head2

Mila has not seen her mother for :; months because Mila1s father refuses to abide by the court order providing for regular visitation with her mother. And, no system will step in to enforce the court order and do what is right. All of this seems to mean nothing to the systems because the father1s aggressive lawyer repeatedly threatens law suits and tells everyone that Mila1s mother is crazy < which she is not. !his is a classic manipulation strategy to diminish the mother1s and child1s story *blame the victim+, and takes attention away from the evidence that the mother is offering. !he father has repeatedly lied to everyone involved in this case, yet, he is never held accountable, nor are his stories check out for accuracy. /rofessionals are scared off by the lawyer and are not protecting the child. !here are many other =uestionable problems related to Mila1s case involving state officials, but the most pressing is Mila1s health and safety. It is my hope that someone somewhere can step in and stop the endless nightmare that is this child1s life and return her to her mother where she will be safe.