The Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) is being criticized for its ruling that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) made “no unsound decisions” in handling the case of 3-year-old Maddox Williams.

Maddox was beaten to death by his mother, Jessica Trefethen of Stockton Springs, in June 2021.

According to the Portland Press Herald, a hearing held Friday before the Legislature’s Oversight Committee allowed the public to comment on OPEGA’s final report and the DHHS’s case handling.

Family members of Maddox and critics blame the DHHS for its decision to give Trefethen custody of Maddox despite her criminal history and mental health record. According to CBS 13, family members say case workers failed to identify evidence of abuse during their visits and ignored red flags when Trefethen repeatedly refused to allow them to speak with her children alone. They also criticized OPEGA for not holding the DHHS accountable and dismissing their failures as “missed opportunities” due to a “departure in policy.”

Many of Maddox’s family members say they expressed concern over the safety of Maddox to the DHHS when they had awarded Trefethen custody of him in March 2021. The family says DHHS ignored their concerns.