CNN: Judge: Caged kids were abused

[Lerkfish]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/22/caged.children.ap/index.html

NORWALK, Ohio (AP) -- Finding they were abused, a judge ruled Thursday that 11 special needs children who were kept in cages should stay in foster care.

Judge Timothy Cardwell said in his decision that making children sleep in cages without pillows or mattresses is abuse.

The children, who were removed from the home of Michael and Sharen Gravelle on September 9, will remain in foster care until another hearing is held to determine their future.

Cardwell's written ruling Thursday did dismiss allegations that the Gravelles neglected the children. He said they did feed and clothe them, but that making them sleep in the cages still constituted abuse.

(My comment: DUH! when would caging kids with special needs in chickenwire NOT be abuse?)

[pfcpittman]

1. That is awful I hope they get some jail time.

The foster care program in this country realy needs to be overhauled.

[elehhhhna]

4. Foster farming is a growth industry--hell, Tom Delay even got into it

this year:

http://www.riobend.org/

[pfcpittman]

6. WOW

[TomInTib]

18. And look at all the Houston area homebuilders on the Board of

Directors. Son of Bobby Jack Perry (Swiftboat funder and Bush Ranger), Leatherwood, etc.
I understand there were plans afoot to develop a lot of these communities.

[Lerkfish]

20. I'm sure at taxpayer expense.

[Bluzmann57]

22. Yeah my former neighbor is currently in the Iowa State Penal system

for sexually abusing at least one of his foster children. In fact, I think his bitch,er, wife is also in the system for knowing about it and doing nothing to stop it. Now outside of the obvious, what is sad about this case is that the oldest boy in the house was 16, had a job at the local Taco Bell and was by all indications, becoming a productive kid. After the police and foster care people took away the freaks, er parents, the kid took to the streets. How do I know? Because he came over here after he ran away from a local home for youth such as him. He had a large amount of reefer on him and was smoking and drinking, even at that young age. He was also stealing and scraping by because he was living on the streets. I told him that he couldn't live with me because there simply isn't enough room here and it's also illegal. But man, I hated to turn him away. I have heard that he is doing ok since then, gone back to school, but it seems sad that a kid who has had a bad past should be turned over to what amounts to an orphanage. I hope he's ok. Yes, the foster care system in this country needs to be overhauled.

[MissB]

2. I'm going with "duh" on this one too.

[bullimiami]

3. "these are christian people"

Myers said after the hearing that the boy was never confined in the bathroom. He only slept in the bathtub at the recommendation of a therapist to help resolve a problem the boy was having soiling himself.

"It worked," Myers said.

Another time, the boy was punished for taking peanut butter from the kitchen, Sommers said. He was kept in his cage for a month, allowed out only for meals, until he copied the book of Deuteronomy from the Bible in long hand, he said.

Copying the book of the Bible was not punishment, Myers said.

"This is part of their education. These are Christian people," he said.

[Lerkfish]

5. actually, these are ABUSIVE people, christianity is just the bludgeon they

chose to wield their abuse.

[ima_sinnic]

10. oh really? who would Jesus keep in a cage? (nt)

[emad]

7. Judge Rules Caging Ohio Children Was Abuse

Thursday December 22, 2005 4:46 PM


NORWALK, Ohio (AP) - A couple who adopted 11 children with a host of health and behavioral problems abused some of the youngsters by making them sleep in wooden cages without pillows or mattresses, a judge ruled Thursday.

The children will remain in foster care until Juvenile Judge Timothy Cardwell holds a hearing to determine what to do with the children.

Their adoptive parents, Michael and Sharen Gravelle, have not been charged with a crime and denied abusing the youngsters. They said they built the cages in 2003 to protect the children from each other and themselves.

The children, ages 1 to 15, have problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome and a disorder that involves eating dirt.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5497723,00.html

[NashVegas]

17. Sickens Me

I have a 10 year old niece, an adoptee that started out as a foster child.

Her parents were a mess (I won't go into it) and when she came to our family as a two year old she had amazing control issues, needed to be in charge of everything, and, we suspect, some sexual abuse. She would have asthma attacks at the slightest upset. She is what you'd call developmentally disabled. Very intelligent - until you put anything that requires the slightest amount of abstract thinking in front of her.

Her parents tried to fight to regain custody over a period of 3-4 years, and they didn't stand a chance in hell.

The day the adoption papers were signed, this loving little ball of terror relaxed like you wouldn't believe. The acting out, the asthma attacks went to trickle. She's never going to be at 100% brain functionality, but she's one of the most affectionate kids you'll ever meet.

And my stomach turns to think how things could have turned out for her if she'd been placed in a home like these people were offering.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Would caging ANY kids NOT be abusive?

This is horrific. I hope they lock this couple away for life.

[LostinVA]

9. I read they probably won;'t get any jail time

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Because??

[LostinVA]

13. I didn't see that in the cnn story -- let em recheck

[LostinVA]

14. This is all it said:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/22/caged.children.ap/index.html


NORWALK, Ohio (AP) -- Finding they were abused, a judge ruled Thursday that 11 special needs children who were kept in cages should stay in foster care. Judge Timothy Cardwell said in his decision that making children sleep in cages without pillows or mattresses is abuse.

Adoptive parents Michael and Sharen Gravelle have not been charged with a crime and denied abusing the youngsters. They said they built the cages in 2003 to protect the children from each other and themselves.


<snip>

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. I will be shocked if they end up not being charged

[LisaL]

16. They haven't even been charged with anything.

To get any jail time, they need to be charged and prosecuted, and for whatever reason, they haven't been.

[pagandem4justice]

21. Thank you.

I actually clicked into this thread because I was mildly shocked by the title. How could caging kids NOT be abusive?!? My first thought was, "Duh"; my second, "It took a judge to decide this?" My thiurd thought was unprintable, upon finding out that they would not be charged with a crime. Ridiculous.

We jail youths for carrying around a baggie of pot, but not these MF'ers for caging their kids? Someone peel my brains off the wall please...

:banghead:

[Solly Mack]

11. not to be picky but

shouldn't it read "that making children sleep in cages without pillows or mattresses is abuse."

The original wording makes it sound as if it would have been OK if they had just had pillows and mattresses.

[David__77]

19. Stupid headline...

"DUH!"