In re Vanessa C. CA1/5

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Section 300 Petition On August 18, 2014, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (the Department) filed a juvenile dependency petition on behalf of Vanessa, who was 12 years old and had been living with Father. The petition alleged Vanessa came within subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of section 300. Specifically, on August 12, Father allegedly threw a two-shelf, wooden bookcase across the room, striking Vanessa on her left foot, causing swelling, bruising, and a laceration approximately an inch long. Vanessa also reported that, on a number of occasions, Father grabbed her by the arms and torso, forced her into a wall or piece of furniture, and pinned her in place with his body weight. He also previously struck Vanessa in the face with a hard-cover book, causing a bloody nose. Father also allegedly failed to seek medical attention for Vanessa’s injured foot.3 Vanessa was suffering anxiety and depression, as evidenced by her behavior during interviews with a therapist and social worker. Vanessa also told a social worker that when Father physically restrained her by pushing her up against a wall and holding her there, he…