A South Florida-based group seeking to reform the family court system held a candlelight vigil late Saturday afternoon to remember a 2-year-old girl — who police say was brutally murdered in May by her father in Pembroke Pines — to call attention to “critical failures in mental health care and the family court system.”
The vigil began at 5:30 p.m. at Hollywood North Beach Park, 3601 N. Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL 33019, according to “Families Against Court Travesties,” or FACT. Joining the vigil: the family of Melody Alana Rose Duran, who would have celebrated her third birthday on Saturday.
“This gathering will honor the life of Melody, a bright and joyful two-year-old, whose death on May 28, 2024, highlights critical failures in mental health care and the family court system,” said FACT.
The girl’s father, Jeronimo A. Duran, 33, was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and is being held in jail without bond pending his trial. He has pleaded not guilty.
NBC-6 Miami reported, citing court records, that Melody’s mother had told a judge she opposed unsupervised visitation the year before her daughter was killed. It noted the mother told the judge that Duran was a threat and had been forcibly committed to a mental health facility under the Baker Act at least five times and exhibited suicidal ideations including “a history of hearing voices to end his life, some while the child was with him alone.”
The judge allowed the couple to share parental responsibility because it was “in the minor child’s best interests," NBC-6 reported.
In a statement Saturday, FACT officials said the judge failed the family of Melody.
“Despite her mother’s repeated warnings about his unstable mental health and concerning behavior, the court granted him unsupervised visitation,” said FACT leaders. “Melody’s mother fought tirelessly through a protracted custody battle, but systemic shortcomings failed to protect her child.”
In a statement shared by the vigil organizers, the young girl’s family described the little girl as “a light in our lives, radiating joy, laughter, and love … spreading happiness to everyone she met.”
Attendees to the vigil on Saturday are encouraged to bring white flowers to “symbolize Melody’s innocence.”
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