Father Mourns Son's Death, Rages Against City

Yesterday, a funeral was held for 10-year-old Jaquan Oscar Porter, who was apparently killed by his abusive mother in their Staten Island home. The boy's father, Charles Porter, said, "I'm glad he's not suffering anymore," but was also angry that his ex Melissa Sekulski managed to keep their son from him, "From the Board of Education to the family courts to ACS, nobody helped me see him. No city officials called to help. It just fell down the drain." Porter, who last saw his son alive in 2003, had asked for a court-ordered visitation in 2005, but Sekulski never showed up to that hearing—or to subsequent ones in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Police say that Sekulski, who had pulled Jaquan out of school last year and kept him out of sight, admitted to slamming her son's head into the wall and a long history of abusing him. Porter said at the funeral, "I don't want this to happen to anyone else. I don't want this to happen in vain," and wants other dads to know, "Don't stop fighting. Don't let them tell you that they can't help you."

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By Jen Chung in News on January 4, 2009 10:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Fairness4Fathers

This goes to show how naive you are. This woman brutally murders this boy while the father was blocked by family court from access to his own son, whom I might ad had a court order to see him. But yet, you focus on a possible lawsuit instead of the broken system?

ACS and Family Court have a long history of seeing father's as nothing more than a paycheck for mothers.

If a father was to deny a mother her court ordered visit with her child, he would be hunted down like a dog. This case went on for 3 years and she was protected instead of arrested.

She had no problem cashing those check though.

And by the way, you cannot sue the city, ACS, Family Court, or Friends of the Court - They have immunity from all prosecution and financial liability.

bsalamon

forgetting anything else, there are at least three sides to every story.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Did he ever pay child support?

Fairness4Fathers

He was paying child support while they were denying him access and violating the court ordered visitation.

And what the hell does paying child support have to do with -

Denying him visitation

Overfeeding the child

Beating the child

Murdering the Child

Skipping out on all the court dates...

So, if he was not paying child support, which he was, would this story and murder be acceptable?

Fathers are more than just child support...

When you begin to realize that, we will all be better off..

And this child would be alive

ANGRYGOD11

This grieving father didn't walk away from his son. He tried to see him through the system for 5 years. That cost him time, money and effort. And you think he just wanted a big payday.

Jen Chung

He might have a good case.

jchez

There can be no doubting the fact that the system is biased against fathers. Any one will easily believe tales from a bitter wife about a father abusing his children, specially girls. However, try to take the children away from a mother and the woman is given all the benefit of the doubt up to the point of a tragedy like this.