$31.5 million settlement reached in child's starvation death suit against city and county of San Diego, others

"A lawsuit alleging systemic failures that led to the starvation death of an 11-year-old girl at the hands of her adoptive family has resolved with settlements tallying $31.5 million dollars including $10 million each from the city and county of San Diego. The neglect lawsuit was brought on behalf of Arabella McCormack's two younger sisters, who were 6 and 7 years old when Arabella died in August 2022."

"The three children had been living with a Spring Valley couple who'd taken them in as foster children a few years earlier, eventually adopting them. RELATED: Grand jury indicts adoptive mother, grandparents in death of 11-year-old California girl It accused several agencies, organizations and staffers of failing to report possible abuse of Arabella, who died in a state of malnutrition weighing less at her death than she had when she was 5 years old and had cuts, bruises and 13 bone fractures."

"A surviving sister told a grand jury last year that they had been given limited food and water, forced to exercise, ordered to stay in their beds and not allowed to go to the bathroom when they needed to. Punishments included being struck with objects. The suit, filed San Diego Superior Court, alleged that social workers closed complaints regarding Arabella as unfounded and that school teachers failed to report the emaciated child to law enforcement. It also alleges a San Diego police officer and family friend gave the family a wooden paddle they could use to strike the child and supplied two more when the first one broke."

Settlements totaling $31.5 million were reached, including $10 million each from the city and county of San Diego. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two younger sisters of 11-year-old Arabella McCormack, who died in August 2022 of severe malnutrition while living with her adoptive parents. Arabella weighed less at death than at age five and suffered cuts, bruises and 13 bone fractures. The surviving sisters exhibited signs of prolonged starvation and required gradual renourishment. Allegations include closed social-work complaints, unreported concerns by school staff, a police officer providing wooden paddles and failures by multiple agencies and organizations to report suspected abuse.

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