Neighbors hold vigil for girl who died of abuse

Originally published in the Philadelphia Daily News on Saturday October 24, 2009

By CHRISTINE OLLEY olleyc@phillynews.com 215-854-5184
Neighbors on the Feltonville block where Charlenni Ferreira lived said yesterday that they planned to keep a constant vigil in remembrance of the girl until Oct. 30, which would have been her 11th birthday.
"We wanted to do that for two reasons: One, so that we won't forget and then by next week it will be old news, but two, because it adds to the tragedy even more that this poor little girl was only a week away from her 11th birthday," said Charles Bednarczyk, 53, who lived a few houses down from Ferreira, on C Street near Louden.
Ferriera, a fifth-grader at Feltonville Intermediate School, died Wednesday of a lung infection caused by a lack of medical care, hours after she was found unconscious in her home where she lived with her father and stepmother, police said.
On Thursday, the District Attorney's Office approved charges of murder, endangering the welfare of a child and related offenses against the little girl's father, Domingo "Anibal" Ferreira, 53, and stepmother, Margarita Garabito, 43.
Police said that Charlenni allegedly suffered serious physical and sexual abuse and called it "one of the worst cases" they had ever seen.
CBS3 reported that five weeks before she died, Charlenni was examined by a school nurse who noted on Sept. 15 that she "had a gait that was unsteady," and that she had six unexcused absences during the last school year due to "parental neglect/noncompliance. "
School district officials could not comment but instead released a written statement that partly read: "The district is unable to comment any further on this case due to the ongoing investigation and the privacy rights of the student and her family. "
"I always thought that something might have been wrong," Bednarczyk said, "because I would see her sitting outside of her house and she would always appear sort of frozen.
"But as soon as she would be allowed to go down the street and play with her friends, it was almost like she blossomed.
People congregating on the block yesterday were still shocked by the tragic end to Charlenni's short life.
"How can you live in these houses next door and not hear anything? The walls are so thin," said Christian Robinson, a neighbor.
"She was a sweet little girl, never disrespected anybody. I don't understand it," said Tauz Marion, 13, a neighbor.
"She liked Hannah Montana just like me," said Charlenni's friend and classmate Merlanny Durah, 10, as her dad dropped her off to place flowers at the growing memorial for Charlenni.
"Sometimes she would talk to me and just cry."