Blue ribbon review good idea in Martens case

Yes, a request by a state senator for an independent investigation into whether the state agency tasked with protecting children did all it was supposed to do in the case of Victoria Martens looks a lot like political grandstanding and would not appear to have any basis in law. But it’s not a bad idea. The death of the 10-year-old Albuquerque girl, allegedly at the hands of a boyfriend of her mother and his cousin while the mother watched, has horrified the people of this state.

Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, asked the Attorney General’s Office to appoint “an independent non-partisan blue ribbon commission” to investigate the state Children, Youth and Families Department, the Department of Corrections and “any touch points that Victoria Martens had with any government agency, including referrals from Albuquerque Public Schools.”

In response to Padilla, Attorney General Hector Balderas agreed there were “unacceptable gaps in the system.” Balderas did not say what they were or whether he would or could appoint such an investigatory commission. He said staffers are looking at “issues surrounding possible points of intervention.”

While the Governor’s Office fired back at Padilla and cited his own high-profile history of sexual harassment — taxpayers shelled out $251,200 and he lost his job as director of the ABQ 311 center in 2007 — it should look at his request as an opportunity to review its own procedures.

Padilla says it’s his understanding that APS had contacted CYFD at least twice with concerns about Victoria and/or her younger brother. A CYFD spokesman did not confirm that because of the Children’s Code, but said the agency “has never done an investigation into anything of a violent or sexual nature” regarding the Martens children.

In recent years, CYFD has attempted to be more responsive to child abuse concerns, beefing up hiring of case workers and embarking on a statewide campaign to improve the quality of life for children.

Part of that effort is its #SAFE program that encourages people to report suspected abuse and neglect. It was established in 2011 and, on average, receives 35,000 reports a year. That is an astounding number and, of course, means attention gets paid to calls that are more serious on their face.

It would show good leadership on the part of Gov. Susana Martinez and CYFD Secretary Monique Jacobson to name their own independent panel to review this case and make the findings public to the extent possible.

Lawmakers bear some of the responsibility for the lack of public accountability because they have made the Children’s Code so opaque.

Victoria is dead. Her privacy can no longer be invaded. And if the state agency charged with protecting children can learn from this tragedy, it would be best to do so.