* AFSCME Council 31…

A DCFS Child Protective Investigator in the Sterling Office was sent out at the end of the day on Friday, September 29 to check on the welfare of a child. When the investigator arrived, the father, Andrew Sucher, viciously attacked her, knocking her to the ground repeatedly assaulting the investigator about the head.

As a result of the attack, the DCFS investigator sustained very serious brain injuries. She was airlifted to a hospital in Rockford where she has undergone two surgeries. She is currently in a coma.

Out of concern for the family, we are not releasing the employee’s name at this time. Kathy Lane, the president of AFSCME Local 448, knows her very well and was with the family at the hospital throughout the night after the attack. An AFSCME Personal Support Program (PSP) counselor has also been there to provide assistance. Kathy is urgently requesting prayers for this DCFS employee and fellow AFSCME member who is now so gravely injured as a result of her dedication to protecting an endangered child.

“This brutal attack is a horrific reminder of the dangers that DCFS employees confront every day on the job,” said AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch. “There must be a thorough review of agency policies, as well as a commitment to assure staffing levels that can protect at-risk children and the employees we count on to safeguard them.”

The assailant has been arrested and is being held on $200,000 bond.

* Background…

Andrew J. Sucher, 29, was out of jail on $15,000 bond, facing aggravated battery of a child, which carries 2 to 5 years in prison, and misdemeanor battery, domestic battery and interfering with the reporting of a domestic battery in a Whiteside County case when he was arrested Friday in Dixon. […]

Sucher was charged July 31 and pleaded not guilty Aug. 14 in the Whiteside County case. He has a pretrial hearing Oct. 25. A public defender has been assigned.

He also has an active emergency order of protection against him in Whiteside County, also filed July 31.

He was convicted of misdemeanor battery in 2011 in Carroll County and was sentenced to a year of court supervision.

*** UPDATE ***  Press release…

State Representatives Tom Demmer (R-Dixon), Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), and Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) urged prayers and community awareness following a brutal attack on a DCFS Child Protective Investigator at a child welfare check on Friday, September 29th in Carroll County.

The three legislators offered the following statement today:

“This tragic attack highlights the dangers faced by our child welfare officers every day and the profound need to continue to educate communities on eliminating violence, especially domestic violence. Along with our fellow legislators, we offer our prayers to the family of the DCFS Investigator, as well as to her co-workers and fellow employees who are saving lives in Illinois’ child welfare system every day. This is terribly frightening and traumatizing for all of our hardworking Child Protective Investigators, but this incident shows how important their work is in protecting children from violence and harm.”

…Adding… Press release…

The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) released its annual Domestic Violence Homicide Report for 2017 today. ICADV’s report states that 61 people died in Illinois because of domestic violence during the period of the report. 55 were adults and six (6) were under the age of 18. These deaths were identified as part of 44 separate incidents, indicating many perpetrators killed more than one victim at the time, highlighting it is important to understand that domestic violence doesn’t occur to just one victim.

“The numbers have risen,” says Vickie Smith, Executive Director of ICADV. “To us this means we have much more to do in educating our citizens about what domestic violence is and how we all play a part in working to eliminate it from our state.”

Another issue reported in the last four annual reports is the number of perpetrators that commit suicide after the murders. The latest report indicates twelve perpetrators committed suicide after killing their victim(s). “This is important when developing prevention programs. We need to pay attention to suicide ideation as well as threats of homicide when assisting victims with safety planning”, said Smith.

The full report is here.