A former family support counselor has been tangled in a grim tale of familial neglect and abuse, as detailed in charges against her by Margate police. Treaunshae Jashawn Gibbons, 29, has been accused of bearing witness to, and failing to report, the prolonged abuse of her 15-year-old cousin at the hands of the girl's legal guardians. According to Local 10 News, Gibbons could not bring herself to confirm whether she saw parts of the alleged torture.
Gibbons, who purportedly lived in the same residence as the abused teen from 2015 to 2019, chose not to use her professional knowledge to protect the victim. Instead, she was charged Wednesday for child neglect causing bodily harm and failure to report child abuse—a clear split in her responsibility that was expected from someone in her position with two other child welfare organizations before her last role. The distressed girl finally reached out to an online instructor for help, prompting a police response that unveiled a scene of "long-term trauma,” as reported by NBC Miami.
This reprehensible case extends beyond Gibbons, involving the teen’s aunt and uncle, Latricia Crawley and Benjamin Lockett, who were the girl’s legal guardians. These two face charges of aggravated child abuse and child neglect with great bodily harm. Crawley and Lockett allegedly imposed a decade of horror on the child, including caging her, scalding her with boiling water, and subjecting her to starvation and other horrific acts of violence—a narrative of abuse pieced together by authorities responding to the teen's desperate plea for aid.
Also embroiled in this case is Shankyria Clayton, the victim’s older sister, who has been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse. It's become increasingly clear that Gibbons played a role to significantly impede justice from her failure to act. She seemed to be well aware of the legal system and is accused of advising her mother on how to circumvent police inquiries. According to a recorded phone call outlined in police reports and detailed by Local 10 News, Gibbons acted as a "middleman" between Latricia Crawley and law enforcement, to possibly to shield her mother from scrutiny.
The 15-year-old victim of this heinous abuse has been placed under the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families. While the accused have posted bond, the community and the criminal justice system are left to grapple with the ramifications of what has transpired. Gibbons herself was released on bond, but the charges levied against her reflect a profound breach of trust and duty that has shaken the Margate community to its core. As the legal process unfolds, further details promise to emerge about the extent of the dysfunction and cruelty that marred the life of an innocent teenager.
