SAN ANTONIO -- State Sen. Carlos Uresti criticized an investigation from the state Office of Inspector General on Friday, a day after the investigation cleared Child Protective Services supervisors in the 2009 death of eight-year-old Sarah Brasse.
Brasse died of appendicitis while in the care of her father and stepmother inside their Schertz home.
In March, the OIG launched an investigation to determine whether Child Protective Services employees could have done more to prevent her death.
The two-page investigation listed several instances in which CPS workers failed to follow up on signs of abuse or neglect, but stated CPS managers properly followed the agency's procedures.
Sen. Uresti expressed disappointment in the breadth of the investigation, holding up the two-page report along with a much thicker file about Brasse the senator assembled in recent years.
Sarah's mother, JoAnne Guerrero, pointed out her daughter showed signs of abuse and neglect while in the care of her father and step-mother two years before she died.
David Brasse and Samantha Britain were convicted of manslaughter in connection to Sarah's death. An appeals court turned over the convictions in 2012.
Blame for Sarah's death shifted between the couple and CPS, whose investigators noted several instances of possible abuse in the years, months and weeks before Sarah died.
"There are other children in that exact position waiting to be protected, waiting to be saved. How many are having their calls ignored?" said Guerrero, who stated in March she hoped the investigation would lead to major changes in CPS.
CPS Spokeswoman Mary Walker addressed the OIG investigation and Sen. Uresti's press conference in separate written statements released Friday:
The case has been thoroughly reviewed and we consider the matter closed.
We've worked very closely with Senator Uresti in the aftermath of this case and will continue to answer any questions he might have.
