CA - 13 victims, ages 2 to 29, shackled in home by parents, Perris, 15 Jan 2018 #8

[bears10]

I'm confused too. You go to an event and buy a shirt as a remembrance of the great time you had. Or a shirt with the name of the resort you went to last summer on a fun vacay. Why would the children want to wear a shirt to remind them of what thy'e been though? For that matter, why would they want to see other people wearing a shirt that memorializes their horrible past. There must be a better way to support them than reminding them of what they've been through . JMO

I agree. I understand the sentiment and I know everyone has good intentions, but it seems awkward. I don’t think, for instance, a sexual assault victim would want to wear a shirt saying they are a survivor, merely weeks after the assault ended. And I don’t think they’d like to see others wearing a shirt with their name on it. They aren’t hurricane victims. They are victims of horrific and degrading abuse.

 

[bears10]

Thanks. It's a rotten thing for someone whose life has been centered around words (MA in English and a lifetime focus on writing) to lose their words. It's a special kind of hell. Today is not as bad as it sometimes is.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Hugs ❤️

 

[rsd1200]

Thanks. It's a rotten thing for someone whose life has been centered around words (MA in English and a lifetime focus on writing) to lose their words. It's a special kind of hell. Today is not as bad as it sometimes is.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I'm sorry, vmmking. I understand. It blows. My poor ole brain has quite a few bad sectors (several reasons). Highly annoying is one among many emotions.

 

[Spice]

TRIGGER WARNING

IF YOU DECIDE TO GOOGLE THIS JOURNAL ARTICLE ON YOUR OWN, IT DEPICTS VERY GRAPHIC PHOTOS OF CHILD ABUSE AND TORTURE ON ONE OF THE PAGES AND APPEARS WITHOUT WARNING. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

The following are partial bullet points of this peer reviewed scholarly article (case study) published by The Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma in 2014 and found by me through the Alaska National Children Alliance.

Tricia has given me permission to copy and paste partial salient points within the article and not the article in its entirety.

Citation: Knox, B.L., Starling, S.P., Feldman, K.W. et al. Journ Child Adol Trauma (2014) 7: 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-014-0009-9

This paper describes clinical findings and case characteristics of children who are victims of severe and multiple forms of abuse; and proposes clinical criteria that indicate child abuse by torture.Medical records, investigation records, and transcripts of testimony regarding a non- consecutive case series of 28 children with evidence of phys- ical abuse, neglect, and psychological maltreatment, such as terrorizing and isolation, were reviewed for types of injuries, duration of maltreatment, medical and physical neglect, social and family history, and history of prior Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement. The median age was 7.5 years (9 months to 14.3 years). Thirty-six percent died. Duration of abuse ranged from 3.5 months to 8 years (median 3 years).

The children in this case series were physically abused, isolated, deprived of basic necessities, terrorized, and neglected. We define child torture as a longitudinal experience characterized by at least two physical assaults or one extended assault, two or more forms of psychological maltreatment, and neglect resulting in prolonged suffering, permanent disfigurement or dysfunction, or death.

Torture is different from other forms of child abuse, but it currently lacks medical definitional criteria. As opposed to torture, the majority of commonly recognized physically abu- sive acts result from a caregiver’s episodic unchecked anger or loss of self-control. Torture is usually prolonged or repeated and includes acts designed to establish the perpetrator’s dom- ination and control over the child’s psyche, actions and access to the necessities of life. It employed elements of both physical abuse and psychological cruelty.

A recent literature review and commentary notes the lack of a formal medical definition of torture in the context of child abuse (den Otter et al. 2013); this lack of a definition may have reduced the ability of medical and legal authorities to effectively recognize and address this problem. Although torture has been described in the context of politically moti- vated abuse, the torture of children within a familial context has received little attention

The goal of this case series is to exemplify and thus define child torture within the context of physical and psychological maltreatment inflicted on children by their caretakers. We sought to identify medical criteria distinguishing these cases from other forms of child abuse and present reasons for creating a new subcategory of child maltreatment. This case series also examines perpetrator characteristics and their implications.

Forty-five percent of the victims’ siblings had been coerced into participation in the torture and 65 % of siblings were abuse victims themselves. All study children in this case series were subjected to more than one form of egregious physical abuse and neglect, and most children were deprived of basic necessities of life (Table 2). Ninety-three percent of children had cutaneous evidence of physical abuse at the time of medical intervention or death. Sixty-one percent had been physically restrained by binding. Ninety-three percent of children had been beaten and 21 % had fractures. They received no medical care for their physical injuries.

Table 3 lists types of psychological abuse(s) and neglect of child victims. Eighty-nine percent experienced food depriva- tion and 79 % were fluid restricted. Sixty-four percent were restricted in the performance of normal bodily functions, including toilet access for urination and defecation. The ma- jority of children (89 %) were isolated from people outside the immediate family; 75 % experienced solitary confinement. For over half, few individuals outside the abuser(s) knew of the child’s existence. This social isolation typically involved preventing the child from attending school or daycare. Twenty-nine percent of school-age children were not allowed to attend school; two children, though previous enrolled, were dis-enrolled by their caregiver and received no further school- ing. An additional 47 % who had been enrolled in school were Table 3 lists types of psychological abuse(s) and neglect of child victims. Eighty-nine percent experienced food depriva- tion and 79 % were fluid restricted. Sixty-four percent were restricted in the performance of normal bodily functions, including toilet access for urination and defecation. The ma- jority of children (89 %) were isolated from people outside the immediate family; 75 % experienced solitary confinement. For over half, few individuals outside the abuser(s) knew of the child’s existence. This social isolation typically involved preventing the child from attending school or daycare. Twenty-nine percent of school-age children were not allowed to attend school; two children, though previous enrolled, were dis-enrolled by their caregiver and received no further school- ing. An additional 47 % who had been enrolled in school were removed under the auspice of “homeschooling.” This “homeschooling” appears to have been designed to further isolate the child and typically occurred after closure of a previously opened CPS case. Review of these cases found no true educational efforts were provided to the homeschooled children. Their isolation was accompanied by an escalation of physically abusive events

Every child included in the study was victim of several of the six major types of psychological maltreatment (as listed in the methodology section). Most of the children were denied emotional responsiveness, in which the caregiver ignored the child’s attempts and need for social interaction (den Otter et al. 2013). Threats of death were made to 32 % of the children. Of known mental health outcomes for the surviving children, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the most common mental health condition.

Twenty of 51 perpetrators were either biologic mother or father (39.2 %). Females (31 total) were among the perpetrators in every case. Twelve female perpe- trators were biologic mothers (38.7 %).

Among the 20 male perpetrators, eight (40 %) were the biologic father, five (25 %) were stepfather or mother’s boyfriend, four (20 %) were adoptive fathers, one (5 %) was another relative, and two (10 %) were unrelated males. For all cases, all adults in the home knew of this extreme abuse and participated to some extent in abusive acts. Unlike other forms of abuse, most perpetrators of torture partially confessed to their crimes; however, they significantly minimized or rationalized their individual involvement.

The role of female perpetrators in all cases is an atypical finding in most cases of child physical abuse. As the level of violence and control in the homes increased, perpetrators increased the isolation of the victims from every- one but their immediate caretakers. The child’s entire house- hold either participated in or was aware of the child’s abuse.

Torture goes beyond simple polyvictimization in that it includes an increased severity of both physical and psychological maltreatment. It involves intense humiliation and terrorization (Finkelhor et al. 2011).
In our case series, common characteristics of child torture involved multiple abusive physical injuries, deprivation of essential needs, and denigration or dehumanizing the child

Household Dynamics
Several children came into the torturing households through informal family arrangements. We observed that 79 % of the primary abusers were not the child’s first degree relative

Most child victims appeared to be scapegoated within their family; this is another recognized form of abuse associated with sibling empathy deficits (Hollingsworth et al. 2007). Other siblings often were coerced to participate in or endorse the abuse of the index child. In this case series, many of the other children in the household were also abuse victims them- selves, although generally suffering significantly less abuse than the index child.
Typically, abusers demonstrated little or no remorse for their actions. Many transferred blame for their actions onto others and most perpetrators blamed their victims for precipitating the abuse or causing abuse to be necessary. Perpetrators seemed to utilize a framework of necessary discipline and corporal pun- ishment to justify their abusive acts. In these and other cases we have subsequently evaluated, some perpetrators saw it as a religious duty to discipline their children harshly.

Early identification of perpetrators and their child victims is critical as Steele (1987) finds it “extremely difficult, if not impossible, to rehabilitate perpetrators who torture their off- spring” (p. 101). The nature of these crimes and the perpetra- tor’s self-justification argues against any reunification with caretakers and the rehabilitation potential of perpetrators is poor.

The dynamic of psychological and physical cruelty used to control a child is similar to the dynamic often observed in intimate partner violence. Perpetrators of child torture exercised extreme control over their child victims, inflicting repetitive pain and suffering on these children and dehumanizing them

Denial of necessities, including access to food, water, toilet, and sleep were frequently utilized as punishment by the perpetrators. Family members were co- erced into participation in the child’s abuse, possibly out of their own fear or an inability to escape the situation.

The long-term effects of child torture as a form of child abuse are unknown. The medical literature clearly reflects that adult torture victims have significant physical and psychological sequelaePsychological syndrome reported in adult torture survivors by Allodi and Cowgill (1982) includes findings of extreme anx- iety, insomnia, nightmares, suspicious/fearfulness, as well as somatic symptoms of anxiety and phobias. PTSD is the most commonly diagnosed psychological disorder among adult torture victims

Medical providers frequently based their evaluations solely on the history reported by the perpetrator and failed to consider alternate explanations for malnutrition, such as intentional starvation. The perpetrators’ explanations that their children were suffering from behavioral or psychi- atric issues causing the starvation were initially accepted by health care practitioners

The victims we saw share some of the characteristics of the child starvation cases described by Kellogg and Lukefahr (2005), including isolation of the child and hidden or missed malnutrition. They were usually kept at home, or if taken where others could observe them, were clothed to cover their degree of malnutrition and their physical injuries. Older chil- dren were removed from school under the guise of home schooling. Although home schooling is a valid form of edu- cation for many families, these children show no evidence of receiving any education.

These commonalities indicate that torture can be defined as at least two physical assaults (or a single extended incident) and two or more elements of psychological maltreatment. Neglect is often present, generally manifesting as failure to seek ap- propriate care for injuries and/or malnutrition. The combina- tion of physical and psychological maltreatment results in severe child trauma, including prolonged emotional distress, pain and suffering, bodily injury/disfigurement, permanent bodily dysfunction, and/or death. Victims of torture were isolated, terrorized, neglected, deprived of basic necessities, as well as physically and psychologically maltreated. Their abuse appears to represent caretaker efforts to crush the child’s spirit and humanity. Recognizing early signs of torture, such as malnutrition, injuries suspicious for physical abuse, and lack of emotional responsiveness has significant potential to reduce the significant morbidity and mortality associated with this type of child abuse.

Knox, B.L., Starling, S.P., Feldman, K.W. et al. Journ Child Adol Trauma (2014) 7: 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-014-0009-9

 

[rsd1200]

They can be legally made “Wards of the State” at any age.

https://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-does-a-ward-of-the-state-mean.html
[FONT=&amp]Apart from kids and elderly, people of any age can be made wards of the state, if they are deemed legally incompetent to conduct their affairs.


[/FONT]https://legalbeagle.com/8716910-adult-ward-state.html
Types

Most states allow both voluntary and involuntary guardianships. Adults who are mentally competent but incapable of handling their estates independently may ask for voluntary guardianships. Involuntary guardianships are based on adjudication of incompetence by the court, which means that the ward of the state has no say in the appointment of a guardian


http://family.findlaw.com/guardianship/guardianship-of-incapacitated-or-disabled-persons.html
Guardianships are limited as much as is reasonable in order to allow wards to exercise as much control over their lives as possible while maintaining as much dignity and self-reliance as possible. The desires of the wards are given primary consideration. Also, wards are allowed to do as much of their own caregiving as is physically and mentally possible.
Guardians are granted only those powers necessary to accomplish for the ward what the ward cannot accomplish independently. These powers may include: ....

So, they can't leave the assisted living home if they choose to do so?

 

[gitana1]

(first post)
Just wanted to chime in on a few issues here. I am a parent and a grandparent and I come from a large family so the extended family is very large. I can’t even begin to imagine treating any one of them in such a horrific way.

I think there are definite signs that the abuse/neglect began way back. The fact that Fantastic #1 went to school in the same dirty clothes every day is a red flag. And several facts supplied by the sister remembering her visit around that time were also troublesome – very little family time, to begin with. The kids had to stay in their room. And the control of LT was there as well, as evidenced when the child couldn’t even eat what was on the table in front of them without first getting visible permission from LT. None of these alone is proof of anything, but the signs are there nonetheless.

As for the relatives, I can understand them wanting to take care of them. I would accept any of my family members with open arms and be there for them if they needed it. However, in this case, I don’t think that’s wise, for several reasons. To begin with, the siblings (I will call them “the siblings” or “The 13” rather than kids) need a greater degree of separation from DT/LT than immediate family can provide. They need time – a LOT of time – to heal, and some scars will never heal. That is part of what is disheartening about this – there is some damage that will be forever with them, I believe. It will take a lot of time for them to really see and believe and understand that THIS WAS NOT THEIR FAULT – not an easy road to recovery.

Apart from that, however, we know that families can sometimes push each other’s buttons. And I fear that under the surface (if not spoken outright) some extended family will resent them for breaking apart the family and besmirching the family name, and I am afraid it would come out in ways both subtle and not so subtle. Perhaps especially so against Fantastic (and Brave) #8 who brought it all to the light of day. They don’t need that.

Also I wonder if there will be ramifications or charges relating to the possibility that they registered as a home school but very little to no actual schooling was going on, at least with regard to required subjects.

Regarding the Dr. Seuss pictures, personally I don’t believe it was touched up, but I could be wrong. When you have that many people in a picture, hands, arms, elbows, etc. get thrust in every direction.

That’s enough for now, although there is so much more…

:fireworks: :welcome: :fireworks:

Great points. I agree with all you've said here.

 

[Miss_B]

Someone was asking if there were interior photos of the Perris house. The attached photo would have been taken within the past two years. The patio seen in photos taken by the media while police were bringing out evidence, is behind them.

Observation...the young man all the way to the right looks painfully thin, while the older girls, all the way to the left look normal. Makes me wonder if the abuse was targeted to certain children.
Source

What's wrong with the girl next to the girl holding the baby's feet??????


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ReadySet]

Just wondering, was a decision made not to discuss the case being on Dr. Phil today? Or was it already discussed and I missed it?

 

[Bill Carson]

Someone was asking if there were interior photos of the Perris house. The attached photo would have been taken within the past two years. The patio seen in photos taken by the media while police were bringing out evidence, is behind them.

Observation...the young man all the way to the right looks painfully thin, while the older girls, all the way to the left look normal. Makes me wonder if the abuse was targeted to certain children.
Source

Thank you for posting, vlpate. You do an amazing job finding pictures and sources.

I wonder how many times these poor waifs were made to sit on that couch, practically starving to death, and made to watch their parents eat apple or pumpkin pie?!!

 

[gitana1]

They can be legally made “Wards of the State” at any age.

https://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-does-a-ward-of-the-state-mean.html
[FONT=&amp]Apart from kids and elderly, people of any age can be made wards of the state, if they are deemed legally incompetent to conduct their affairs.


[/FONT]https://legalbeagle.com/8716910-adult-ward-state.html
Types

Most states allow both voluntary and involuntary guardianships. Adults who are mentally competent but incapable of handling their estates independently may ask for voluntary guardianships. Involuntary guardianships are based on adjudication of incompetence by the court, which means that the ward of the state has no say in the appointment of a guardian


http://family.findlaw.com/guardianship/guardianship-of-incapacitated-or-disabled-persons.html
Guardianships are limited as much as is reasonable in order to allow wards to exercise as much control over their lives as possible while maintaining as much dignity and self-reliance as possible. The desires of the wards are given primary consideration. Also, wards are allowed to do as much of their own caregiving as is physically and mentally possible.
Guardians are granted only those powers necessary to accomplish for the ward what the ward cannot accomplish independently. These powers may include: ....

Well, not really. The adults would likely be subject to conservatorships in California, which are similar to guardianship but is my the same as being a "ward of the state" or in the foster care system. Usually there are private entities or persons that act as conservators.

They would probably be subject to limited conservatorships which are given when people have developmental issues.

A person's sex life, or social life can't be controlled by the conservator and this does not apply to locked facilities which would necessitate an LPS conservatorships which is very serious and only for the dangerously mentally ill.

So they would be able to leave the facility as they wish but probably encouraged and asked to adhere to certain rules.

There are public conservators in Orange County. I'm not sure about Riverside though.

 

[human]

I'm confused too. You go to an event and buy a shirt as a remembrance of the great time you had. Or a shirt with the name of the resort you went to last summer on a fun vacay. Why would the children want to wear a shirt to remind them of what thy'e been though? For that matter, why would they want to see other people wearing a shirt that memorializes their horrible past. There must be a better way to support them than reminding them of what they've been through . JMO

I really really agree with this. Maybe send them gift cards and they can get what they want.

 

[gitana1]

I'm confused too. You go to an event and buy a shirt as a remembrance of the great time you had. Or a shirt with the name of the resort you went to last summer on a fun vacay. Why would the children want to wear a shirt to remind them of what thy'e been though? For that matter, why would they want to see other people wearing a shirt that memorializes their horrible past. There must be a better way to support them than reminding them of what they've been through . JMO

Yeah. God no. Those poor kids are supposed to be wearing matching shirts with the word "survivor" written on it? No.

What they need is just to have normal, clean clothes they can choose from. Not anything to remind them of the horror in that house.

 

[human]

We don't know what age, why, or even who, drew the drawing, though. And sometimes folks just draw, to draw, no deep meaning, or it means something to someone else. If I posted the Christmas card, that my child designed, and sent to us, w/no context, the armchair psychologists would likely have a lot to say...

Maybe, but if the picture is compared to those that have been made by actual identified sexual abuse children , some of the elements are so much the same, The dark splotch in the middle and the apparent genitalia. It does not take too much to question why there are the similarities.

 

[Leila]

The exact floor plan of the Perris house is here. I hunted and hunted in the Internet Archive until I found it - http://ifp.blufishdesign.com/ifp/plan.php?plan=34:00425444-150.2367 is the link from KB Homes of the floor plan, but you need to click the option 3 car garage to see exactly what the floor plan was in the development (Sequioia at Memorial Park).

Someone else posted what it actually looked like before it was converted from a model home in the development. Here it is - http://fusion.realtourvision.com/m/ios-viewer.php?tourid=70634&id=1178147 They escaped from the BR up front which is called Bedroom 5. In the house it is toward the street right next to what is labeled Den.

The press conferences also said I believe that they were locked in the bedrooms in small groups. The 22 year old boy and 14 year old and the 11 year old were shackled when police arrived, but I believe that the monster parents had removed the shackles of the 14 and 11 year old right as they arrived. That makes me think the 11 and 14 year old were maybe in the same room, but that is just a guess. I get so angry thinking about the suffering that these kids endured that I just have a hard time reading the reports and everything I see a picture of the two parents I just get a nauseated feeling.

I do know that in the press conferences that law enforcement discussed that some of the captives had neuropathy from years of abuse. Some press articles refer to it as nerve damage. I don't know a lot about it but neuropathy is permanent nerve damage and numbness and tingling which I have heard is similar to one of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

http://fusion.realtourvision.com/m/ios-viewer.php?tourid=70634&id=1178147

The above post needs to be added to the media threads or someplace w here it won't get lost in the thousands of posts this case will eventually generate. Seeing the floorplan and the inside of the house when it was a model home is important to understanding the 17 year old's escape.

 

[avondale14]

Someone was asking if there were interior photos of the Perris house. The attached photo would have been taken within the past two years. The patio seen in photos taken by the media while police were bringing out evidence, is behind them.

Observation...the young man all the way to the right looks painfully thin, while the older girls, all the way to the left look normal. Makes me wonder if the abuse was targeted to certain children.
Source

I agree. Id concentrated on the second boy in on the right when i'd view'd this photograph earlier, but the eldest boy's thigh looks skeletal.

 

[mtnlites]

I agree. I understand the sentiment and I know everyone has good intentions, but it seems awkward. I don’t think, for instance, a sexual assault victim would want to wear a shirt saying they are a survivor, merely weeks after the assault ended. And I don’t think they’d like to see others wearing a shirt with their name on it. They aren’t hurricane victims. They are victims of horrific and degrading abuse.

When you put it like that...

We just had a school shooting in our state, with 2 deaths. The people in that area are wearing "Marshall Strong" T-shirts to raise awareness to the situation. The parents of the shooting victims have been wearing them as well and some of the survivors have been shown in their hospital rooms with them.

ETA: I am not comparing the situations. What I am saying is that in the school shooting scenario, the tragedy affected an entire community so the idea of shirts to raise awareness and bring the community together, as well as for outsiders to show support to the community, is a scenario in which such things may be appropriate. This one, because it is so personal to the children, may not be.

I think there may be a fine line between what is appropriate and what isn't so you bring up a good point.

 

[human]

Since Human brought up art, it made me wonder if art and music therapy are commonly used? I know some of them are going to be a little more technically minded, but maybe there is some other type of thing that could be used there? Some of them may not even realize what types of things they are good at, for all we know. Also, IDK if this is still a thing, but a good old fashioned home economist might be helpful to their recovery. Maybe if taught kind of like a class, it wouldn't be too embarrassing if they didn't know something?

I am really praying that it turns out the cognitive damage wasn't as severe as feared and the adult ones will be able to live independent lives. But, it will take some time to figure that out, probably. By which time, maybe their parents' trials will be over.

In the question of fasting, I personally don't think it is a good idea for children. Children grow so much, they need to eat regularly (eta meaning 3 times a day or so IMO). As a child, my parents sometimes had a hard time getting me to eat. I just did not want to. I did know about fasting in a vague sort of way. I think i thought (as a kid) that you HAD to be an adult to even think about it. Jmo

As a child, my actual dream was to create a pill so I would not have to stop playing and eat.

Why could that attitude have not lasted into adulthood! So many yummy foods. So few calories needed by me now.

 

[gitana1]

I really really agree with this. Maybe send them gift cards and they can get what they want.

My fantasy is that they could all go that horse therapy camp Jaycee Dugard and her daughters went to. I imagine it's pretty pricey. I wonder how it will be decided what's going to happen with their funds. THey will have so many needs.

Feels like it should be a trust that addresses the needs of the older kids and those that come of age. The state will be managing the basic needs of the minors.

 

[theirmommy]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Doghairrules]

It would be raising awareness of this case in particular when there are many many other cases of child abuse that occur daily. And if anyone isn't aware of the child abuse that occurs here in the US and all over the world, they have their heads buried in the sand.

IMO

I’m just not going to argue with you about this. You do you.