In a heartbreaking case out of Missouri, a 27-year-old father, B. Dopirak, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after fatally abusing his 4-year-old son. The tragic incident occurred after a court-ordered reunification, which followed years of prior abuse.
Dopirak pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. The case has sparked outrage, especially among child welfare advocates, who believe the system failed to protect the innocent child.
A History of Abuse and Failure in the Child Welfare System
This wasn’t the first time B. Dopirak harmed his son. Four years before the fatal event, the same child was hospitalized as an infant with severe injuries, including a crushed skull, which were inflicted by his father.
After that incident, the child was removed from his father’s custody and placed in a foster home. However, despite warnings from experts, the court allowed a trial reunification between the child and his biological father.
On January 2, 2022, Dopirak called 911 to report that his 4-year-old son had stopped breathing. Emergency responders arrived and rushed the child to the hospital, but he passed away the next day.
An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was “non-accidental closed head trauma,” and the death was ruled a homicide. Investigators concluded that Dopirak was the only adult present when his son became unresponsive, leading to charges against him.
The Court’s Controversial Decision
Court documents revealed that Dopirak had pleaded guilty to the fatal abuse and accepted a plea deal earlier this year. This conviction ended a tragic cycle of abuse that began when the child was just weeks old.
The first incident occurred in 2018, when the boy was only 5 weeks old. Dopirak was responsible for his son’s traumatic brain injury, which was caused by crushing his skull.
Despite the severity of the injuries and the boy being removed from his father’s care, a court-ordered trial reunification proceeded, despite warnings from experts.
The child’s foster family, who had raised him for nearly four years after the 2018 abuse, voiced their heartbreak following his 2022 death.
They expressed their frustration with the court’s decision, especially since multiple experts, including a pediatrician, social worker, and a court-appointed guardian, had advised against reunification.
The foster mother told local media, “When you have so many people telling you that if this child is returned home, he will be killed, you need to listen to that.” Unfortunately, these warnings were not heeded, and the child’s tragic death followed.
The Aftermath and Calls for Change
Dopirak’s 24-year sentence has sparked questions about the failure of the child welfare system. While the sentence holds him legally accountable for his actions, critics argue that the system missed multiple opportunities to prevent the tragedy.
Child welfare advocates continue to demand reforms in the reunification process, hoping to prevent future deaths like this.
For now, Dopirak will serve his sentence in a Missouri state correctional facility. However, his son’s foster family and child advocates across the state remain focused on advocating for better protection for children at risk.
The memory of the boy will live on as a painful reminder of the devastating consequences when the concerns of experts and caretakers are ignored.