The US state of New Hampshire has agreed to pay $2.25 million (£1.66 million) to the mother of Harmony Montgomery, a five-year-old girl whose father was convicted of her murder.
Last May, Crystal Sorey filed a negligence lawsuit against the state, accusing social workers of ignoring signs of physical abuse against her daughter by her ex-husband after he was granted custody in early 2019.
Adam Montgomery is serving a minimum of 56 years in prison after being found guilty of killing Harmony and hiding her body for months before disposing of it.
Police believe he killed Harmony nearly two years before she was reported missing in 2021. Her body has still not been found.
Under the settlement reached last month, the state does not admit to any wrongdoing.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said, “The state agreed to these agreements to avoid lengthy litigation and help families find closure. We recognize their profound loss and hope this will bring some measure of peace.”
In July, the state agreed to pay $5.75 million (£4.26 million) to the mother of a Laconia boy who was placed with his grandmother, now charged with his death in 2019.
A settlement was reached in December with the father of a 5-year-old Merrimack boy killed by his mother in 2021.
The state created the Office of the Child Advocate in 2018 to serve as an independent oversight agency, but lawmakers are considering eliminating it in the next state budget.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
