In re Ashley D.
This case involves appeals from two Family Court orders, both entered on May 22, 1998. The first order adjudicated the respondent's stepdaughter as abused, and the second found his two biological daughters derivatively neglected, stemming from an incident where the respondent physically and sexually assaulted his stepdaughter on October 7, 1997. On appeal, the respondent contended that the evidence was insufficient to support the findings and that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. The Appellate Court affirmed the Family Court's findings, holding that the stepdaughter's out-of-court statements were sufficiently corroborated and that the sexual attack constituted strong evidence for derivative neglect. Furthermore, the court found no merit in the ineffective assistance of counsel claim and affirmed the denial of visitation rights.