RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. —
A former state attorney says the system designed to protect children may have failed 7-year-old Nia Williams, who died earlier this year in what investigators are calling a homicide.
Nia’s mother, Naikishia Williams, is charged with first-degree murder. Police say the child died in April from blunt-force trauma to her abdomen. An autopsy revealed she suffered a lacerated liver, internal bleeding, and organ failure.
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney and legal expert Dave Aronberg says that based on what’s been made public, the state’s response may not have been enough.
“This is so heartbreaking because based on what we know, there were so many red flags here,” Aronberg said. “There were various opportunities to save this child’s life. And yes, the system looks like it let this poor child down. It’s now up to prosecutors and government employees to start picking up the pieces and trying to hold accountable everyone involved.”
Court records show Nia was hospitalized multiple times with serious injuries. Just weeks before her death, a former caretaker submitted a report to DCF listing several signs of abuse, including visible knots on her face, weight loss, and a black eye.
But investigators say no action was taken in time.
Nia had also been temporarily removed from her mother’s custody twice and lived with the former caretaker for more than three years. After her mother regained custody, the caretaker says she was no longer allowed to see Nia or the other children.
Aronberg says while criminal charges against DCF employees would be rare due to legal immunity, civil lawsuits are far more likely.
“I think it’s close to a certainty there will be civil lawsuits,” he said. “When the state is entrusted with protecting our most vulnerable and then gets it so wrong, there will be a civil lawsuit.”
Florida’s Children First, a nonprofit that works to protect the rights of children in state systems, says cases like this highlight the need for stronger transparency and communication policies.
“In this case, one of our priorities is ensuring that children are protected to ensure accountability and transparency,” said Executive Director Geori Seldine. “That’s a really big piece all around the nation.”
School district records show Nia missed more than 50 days of school, and that she came to school sick just days before her death, complaining of stomach pain and vomiting.
District officials tell WPBF 25 News there are no employees at Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School currently under investigation for failure to report child abuse, abandonment, or neglect.
