Advocate: Massachusetts system ‘failed’ missing girl Harmony

By KATHY McCORMACK
Associated Press

An independent review has found the Massachusetts child protection system failed to prioritize the needs of a 5-year-old New Hampshire girl who vanished in 2019 after her father was awarded custody. The much-anticipated report was released Wednesday. It found that the girl, Harmony Montgomery, suffered from a ripple effect of miscalculations. It found that “unequal weight placed on parents’ rights versus a child’s wellbeing.” In her legal case, the report says neither her safety nor her medical, behavioral and educational needs were put at the forefront of custody discussions. Her father and stepmother have pleaded not guilty on charges related to her wellbeing. They remain in jail.