The grandmother of 9-year-old Jamaria Sessions, who tragically died of abuse, has expressed her deep frustration and grief, revealing that she had been fighting for custody of her grandchildren for two years before the tragedy.
“I blame the system. Yes, I do. CPS and the courts because if they had just one person cared. She wouldn’t be dead right now,” said Althea Chenault, Jamaria’s grandmother.
Chenault’s struggle to protect her grandchildren began after Jamaria’s mother died in 2022, according the Fox35. Despite her efforts to alert authorities and secure custody, she feels the system failed her granddaughter. “All they had to do for one minute go in there and look at her, and they would have pulled her out the house,” Chenault lamented.
The heartbreaking situation reached its peak when Jamaria’s father, Lojuan Sessions, was arrested for aggravated manslaughter of a child. He is currently being held in Orange County Jail. His girlfriend, Tyshael Martin, was arrested two days earlier and faces charges of neglect, aggravated child abuse, and first-degree murder in Jamaria’s death.
“We’ve been calling the child abuse hotline, trying to get help,” Chenault said, reflecting on her relentless attempts to save her granddaughter. Despite these efforts, the system’s response was tragically inadequate.
Chenault described Jamaria as a sweet, loving child who adored animals and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. Jamaria was also very close to her little sister, always looking out for her. “She was her sister’s keeper. Every time you see one, you see the other. That was the sweetest girl in the world,” Chenault shared.
In the wake of Jamaria’s death, Chenault is channeling her grief into continuing the fight for custody of her youngest grandchild. She is scheduled for a family court hearing in September, where she hopes to secure the safety and well-being of her remaining grandchild.
The tragic case underscores the devastating consequences of systemic failures in child protective services, leaving families like Chenault’s struggling to pick up the pieces.