Global InformationMurder of Elisa Izquierdo information
Elisa Izquierdo | |
|---|---|
 Izquierdo in 1995 | |
| Born | Elisa Izquierdo February 11, 1989 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 22, 1995 (aged 6) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.[1] |
| Cause of death | Brain hemorrhage,[2] multiple trauma, child abuse |
| Resting place | Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York 40°41′44″N 73°52′34″W / 40.6956°N 73.8761°W (approximate) |
Elisa Izquierdo (February 11, 1989 – November 22, 1995)[3] was a six-year-old Puerto Rican–Cuban-American girl[2] who died of a brain hemorrhage[2] inflicted by her mother, Awilda Lopez, at the peak of a prolonged and escalating campaign of physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse conducted between 1994 and 1995.
Described by authorities as the "worst case of child abuse they had ever seen,"[4] Elisa's story made national headlines when it was discovered that New York City's child welfare system (now the Administration for Children's Services) had missed numerous opportunities to intervene in her case and ultimately save her life.[5] These failures to protect Elisa subsequently became the inspiration for Elisa's Law, a major restructuring of the city's child welfare system; increasing accountability of all parties involved in child welfare and reducing areas of confidentiality relating to public disclosure in cases of this nature. Elisa's Law was implemented in February 1996.[6]
Elisa has been referred to as a modern-day Cinderella because she had at first been under the protection of a loving father and had befriended Prince Michael of Greece—who had offered to pay for her private tuition until 12th grade—before being placed into the permanent custody of her mother.[7]
- ^ "After Two Decades, Residents Hope to Memorialize Murdered Child". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c Peyser, Mark (December 10, 1995). "The Death Of Little Elisa". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ Warner 2015, p. 153.
- ^ Purnick, Joyce (November 21, 1996). "Elisa's Death: A Year Later, Hints of Hope". The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ Stack, Barbara (September 24, 2001). "Open Justice: Little Girl's Murder Brought New York's Juvenile Court Proceedings into the Light". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ "Elisa's Law". The City of New York. Archived from the original on April 9, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ Hampson, Rick (November 30, 1995). "Little Girl Was a Cinderella Even a Prince Could Not Save". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 5, 2013.