Report on Child Fatality in Clovis, New Mexico: A Case Study in Sustainable Development Goal Failures

Case Summary

• Incident: Death of a 1-year-old male, Calian Skywater, due to alleged intentional abuse.
• Date of Death: November 2024.
• Location: Clovis, New Mexico.
• Subjects: Donna Phillips, 22, and Onesimus Skywater, 33 (parents of the deceased).
• Charges: Intentional abuse of a child resulting in death.

Analysis in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

This case represents a profound failure to meet SDG Target 16.2, which calls to end abuse, exploitation, and all forms of violence against children. The death of Calian Skywater from “fatal physical abuse” is a direct violation of this global commitment. However, the subsequent actions by local institutions demonstrate the framework intended to deliver justice.

1. Initial Institutional Response: Officers from the Clovis Police Department responded to Plains Regional Medical Center following the child’s death, initiating a formal investigation.
2. Evidence Collection: Detectives conducted interviews and executed a search warrant at the family’s residence to gather evidence.
3. Judicial Process: Following a comprehensive investigation, including a final autopsy and expert medical review, the parents were arrested and booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center to face charges.
4. Child Protection Services: The surviving siblings were placed in the custody of a foster family, an institutional action aimed at protecting other vulnerable children involved in the case.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The incident is a tragic contravention of SDG Target 3.2, which aims to end preventable deaths of children under 5 years of age. The well-being of the child was severely compromised, leading to a preventable death caused by violence.

• Medical Findings: An initial examination noted extensive bruising on the child’s face, head, and arms.
• Autopsy Report: A pathologist confirmed bruising on 70 to 80 percent of the child’s body and identified major blunt force trauma to the head as a significant injury.
• Expert Diagnosis: A specialist in child abuse pediatrics concluded that the totality of the injuries was “diagnostic of fatal physical abuse,” directly refuting the parents’ claims of accidental harm and highlighting a complete breakdown of the child’s right to health and safety.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article directly addresses this goal by reporting on the death of a 1-year-old child. The goal aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, and the preventable death of a child is a direct contradiction to this objective. The article’s focus on the “death of their young son” from “intentional abuse” highlights a failure to protect a child’s health and life.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• This goal is central to the article, which details a case of extreme violence against a child. SDG 16 aims to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” The article’s content about “fatal physical abuse,” the police investigation, the autopsy results, and the parents being “arrested and charged” all relate to the themes of ending violence, particularly against children, and ensuring justice through institutional response.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Targets under SDG 3

• Target 3.2: “By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age…” The death of the 1-year-old boy, Calian Skywater, from abuse is a clear example of a preventable under-5 mortality, making this target highly relevant.

Targets under SDG 16

• Target 16.1: “Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.” The article describes a death resulting directly from violence. The pathologist’s findings of “major blunt trauma on the child’s head” and the final diagnosis of “fatal physical abuse” are explicit instances of a violence-related death that this target aims to reduce.
• Target 16.2: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” This is the most directly applicable target. The entire article is a case study of this target’s focus area, detailing the “intentional abuse of a child resulting in the boy’s death” by his parents, who were his caregivers.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 3 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 3.2 (Under-5 mortality rate): The article provides a specific data point for the under-5 mortality rate (Indicator 3.2.1). The death of the 1-year-old child is a single instance that, when aggregated with other similar cases, contributes to the national and local statistics used to measure this indicator.

Indicators for SDG 16 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 16.1 (Number of victims of intentional homicide): The case described, where the death was ruled a result of “fatal physical abuse,” can be classified as an intentional homicide. This specific death would be counted in the data for Indicator 16.1.1, which tracks the number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population.
• Implied Indicator for Target 16.2 (Proportion of children experiencing physical punishment/aggression by caregivers): While the article does not provide a statistical proportion, it offers a qualitative and extreme example of what Indicator 16.2.1 measures. The description of “extensive bruises on a child’s face, head and arms” and “bruising on 70 to 80 percent of his body” serves as a stark illustration of violent physical abuse by caregivers. The legal action taken, with parents “arrested and charged,” is an institutional response to such violence, which is also a component of monitoring progress.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: wdtv.com