OH - Michael & Sharen Gravelle for child abuse, Clarksfield Twp, 2005

[jannuncutt]

Does anyone have an update?

 

[mysteriew]

The Ohio couple accused of keeping some of their 11 adopted children in cages is breaking their silence and fighting to get their children back.

The Gravelles told "Good Morning America" in an interview today they only kept three or four children in the enclosures and that they did so because they were severely emotionally disturbed and a threat to themselves and the other children. They said two other children "just liked sleeping in the enclosure."

"One little girl, she had a regular bed that's still in the room and she chose to get down and get in the enclosure," Sharen Gravelle said. "They play in them."

The Huron County Sheriff's Office reported finding nine cages built into the wall of an upstairs bedroom. The Huron County Department of Job and Family Services has alleged in court documents that the children, who suffer from conditions such as fetal alcohol syndrome and autism, were abused and neglected or in danger of being mistreated.

The Gravelles said there are only six enclosures and not all the children suffer from disabilities.

Michael Gravelle told police he built the cages himself in 2002 after a child therapist assured him it was the best way to protect the kids from each other. He said the cages were meant to accommodate a twin size mattress and that they are spacious, allowing a child to move around and stand up in the larger cages. They said the cages were never locked, but were fitted with alarms that alerted them when a child was up and about.

"There are no locks," Sharen Gravelle said. "We didn't even lock our house at night so why would we lock our child in?"

Michael Gravelle said he was willing to compromise with family services about keeping the children in cages if they regain custody.

"Several of the children still need to be in some type of enclosure for their safety and for the security of the whole family," Michael Gravelle said. "Yes, we would consider any type of compromise … That is our goal, to reach out to them so they will listen to us and negotiate with us in all fairness and bring our children home."

In a hearing last week, Huron County Common Pleas Court Judge Timothy Cardwell rejected a motion to allow the Gravelle's 19-month-old adopted child to be returned to a Chicago-area adoption agency.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1273177

 

[LinasK]

Any judge or social worker that would let them have custody of any of the children back, must be out of their mind! Even their own natural children told of what rotten parents they were...:doh: I believe their own children over two people who stood to gain financially from the custody of all these children, they should be locked up for good!!!:behindbar

 

[jannuncutt]

The Ohio couple accused of keeping some of their 11 adopted children in cages is breaking their silence and fighting to get their children back.

The Gravelles told "Good Morning America" in an interview today they only kept three or four children in the enclosures and that they did so because they were severely emotionally disturbed and a threat to themselves and the other children. They said two other children "just liked sleeping in the enclosure."

"One little girl, she had a regular bed that's still in the room and she chose to get down and get in the enclosure," Sharen Gravelle said. "They play in them."

The Huron County Sheriff's Office reported finding nine cages built into the wall of an upstairs bedroom. The Huron County Department of Job and Family Services has alleged in court documents that the children, who suffer from conditions such as fetal alcohol syndrome and autism, were abused and neglected or in danger of being mistreated.

The Gravelles said there are only six enclosures and not all the children suffer from disabilities.

Michael Gravelle told police he built the cages himself in 2002 after a child therapist assured him it was the best way to protect the kids from each other. He said the cages were meant to accommodate a twin size mattress and that they are spacious, allowing a child to move around and stand up in the larger cages. They said the cages were never locked, but were fitted with alarms that alerted them when a child was up and about.

"There are no locks," Sharen Gravelle said. "We didn't even lock our house at night so why would we lock our child in?"

Michael Gravelle said he was willing to compromise with family services about keeping the children in cages if they regain custody.

"Several of the children still need to be in some type of enclosure for their safety and for the security of the whole family," Michael Gravelle said. "Yes, we would consider any type of compromise … That is our goal, to reach out to them so they will listen to us and negotiate with us in all fairness and bring our children home."

In a hearing last week, Huron County Common Pleas Court Judge Timothy Cardwell rejected a motion to allow the Gravelle's 19-month-old adopted child to be returned to a Chicago-area adoption agency.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1273177

WTF is going on here? These people should be in jail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:furious:

 

[txsvicki]

I believe these people about the children being a danger to each other but they should never have built cages around them. I don't believe them about leaving the cages open and think they probably did move the dressers up against the cage doors at night so that the kids couldn't get up and get into things at night or first thing in the morning. They did make a lot of money each month so they could have built each child at least a small bedroom and put motion sensor alarms on the doors to alert them at night. The state should answer to why they allowed these people to have so many troubled and ill children because I know from my own experience and from talking to others that there is no way that two people could handle eleven kids with disabilities. The states really bury their heads in the sand by allowing such things but yet most states will not pay family members the same as foster parents to care for kids. Maybe if some of these kids' families could have been given the same payments each month they would have been able to keep the kids instead, who knows.

 

[SewingDeb]

You have a very good point. Many times children with severe handicaps are given up because the family cannot afford the medical treatment. The money could be used to assist families to be able to keep their child at home.

 

[Opie]

There is also the problem that in some states (OH included) it is necessary for the family to sign over custody of the child to the state in order to receive assistance in some cases. There is a child with severe problems in my family, and that "solution" has been proposed. A loving parent would have to be really desperate to do that, IMO.

 

[alpharee]

Parents want ‘caged children’ returned
Social worker says she knew about enclosures for three years and approved

Connie Mabin
The Associated Press
NORWALK — A Clarksfield couple accused by authorities of putting their 11 adopted children in cages as punishment asked a court Friday to immediately return the children to their custody.
A lawyer for Michael and Sharon Gravelle filed a motion in the juvenile division of Huron County Common Pleas Court requesting the return of the youngsters removed nearly two months ago from the Gravelles’ home near Wakeman.
The motion included a sworn statement from an independent social worker who had worked with the Gravelles over the last five years. She said she not only knew about what she understood to be enclosures but approved of them.
In the motion, Cleveland lawyer Ken Myers argued that removing the children from the Gravelle home and splitting them up has damaged them, in part because the Gravelles’ visitation rights are limited. The motion alleges Huron County endangered the children by placing them in foster care, where they had problems with other foster children.
Judge Timothy Cardwell asked attorneys for the county to respond by Nov. 14, noting that he expected to rule on the motion soon after that.
A message was left Friday for Erich Dumbeck, director of Huron County Department of Job and Family Services.
Huron County authorities say the Gravelles placed some of the children in cages at night and as punishment during the day. The Gravelles, who have not been charged, have said they adopted children with special needs who potentially could harm themselves.
The motion explained that the social worker knew about the enclosed beds since 2003 and that Michael Gravelle built what law enforcement officials later said were cages. A Huron County social worker inspected the home before a court authorized removal of the children.
According to the motion, the social worker said she “understands the need of the Gravelles to control the mobility of the children and the beds providing safety for the family and security for the children.”
A second unidentified social worker who oversaw a home study in 2004 for the most recent adoption also said she knew about the beds, according to the motion. That social worker decided the Gravelles were a good family and kept what she called “cribs” that protected the children.
The Gravelles have said the children’s enclosed beds are more like clubhouses meant to keep the youngsters safe. The children have health and behavioral problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome and pica, a disorder in which children eat at nonfood items such as rocks or dirt.
A juvenile court hearing on whether the children were abused or neglected is planned for Dec. 6.


http://www.chroniclet.com/Daily Pages/Front/Html/Head1.html

 

[JBean]

Here is my "cage" story. While all my boys are particualy coordinated and athletic, one was from a very very young age.

Translation: he could climb out of the crib at 7 months. As you can imagine, this opened the door for many problems, especially when I would find him asleep on the floor by his bed when I would check on him durng the night. Before I knew he could do it,I'd be standing at the sink doing the dishes and I'd turn around and he would be at my feet, when I had put him to bed already. It was kind of shocking!

Anyway, I tried everything to keep him in the crib. I tried netting over the top, lowering the mattress,all the standard options but no luck as he was motivated. It was a genuine danger.The pediatrician even recommended that I tie him to his sheets! I just couldn't do that.
So, one day I turned the crib upside down on him. I laid the mattress on the floor and just turned the whole thing over on him, so I guess I put him in a cage. He was very happy in there and safe. He had his blankies and toys and we could all rest easy that he was not going to become a household statistic.
So was I wrong to do this?

 

[mysteriew]

No JBean I don't think you were wrong. A parent has to do whatever they can to see that children who aren't old enough, or able enough are protected.
I have said all along, I am less concerned with the so called "cages" as long as they were big enough, if the children had mattresses and coving and if they were not locked. The parents cannot be expected to be awake 24/7 to watch the kids. And from the descriptions of the children, special arrangements might have to be made for them. The Gravelle's have said that each enclosure had a mattress and pillow and blanket. At least one article disputes that. I am a lttle more concerned about the dau and son's statements about their father, but at least one dau. appears to dispute what they say.
A lot of what is happening here, is not going to be known unless it goes to court. It may be only a matter of social workers disagreeing about what is proper treatment for the kids. At least 2 social workers seem to agree that the "cages" or enclosures were necessary for the children's protection. The kids appeared to be healthy, clean, fed, and supervised. As far as using the enclosures for punishment- I myself have sent my kids to bed for misbehavior. Since the beds weren't locked, only equipped with an alarm- then I just am not seeing so much of a problem here.
I do think it is significant that there has been no charges filed here. If the prosecution had seen evidence of wrong doing, I feel pretty certain that charges would have been filed.

 

[JBean]

No JBean I don't think you were wrong. A parent has to do whatever they can to see that children who aren't old enough, or able enough are protected.
I have said all along, I am less concerned with the so called "cages" as long as they were big enough, if the children had mattresses and coving and if they were not locked. The parents cannot be expected to be awake 24/7 to watch the kids. And from the descriptions of the children, special arrangements might have to be made for them. The Gravelle's have said that each enclosure had a mattress and pillow and blanket. At least one article disputes that. I am a lttle more concerned about the dau and son's statements about their father, but at least one dau. appears to dispute what they say.
A lot of what is happening here, is not going to be known unless it goes to court. It may be only a matter of social workers disagreeing about what is proper treatment for the kids. At least 2 social workers seem to agree that the "cages" or enclosures were necessary for the children's protection. The kids appeared to be healthy, clean, fed, and supervised. As far as using the enclosures for punishment- I myself have sent my kids to bed for misbehavior. Since the beds weren't locked, only equipped with an alarm- then I just am not seeing so much of a problem here.
I do think it is significant that there has been no charges filed here. If the prosecution had seen evidence of wrong doing, I feel pretty certain that charges would have been filed.

I know I did the right thing for my child, no doubt in my mind. But that's kind of why I have reserved judgement on this whole thing, because I really don't know what the truth is.
What if I were sitting around my living room drinking a glass of wine after I put this child to bed.
If someone were to come in, they could say, truthfully, that I lockd up my child and then started drinking. Doesn't sound too good for me, when in fact it is nothing. I have been very curious about this story and have hoped all along that these people really were acting in the best interest of the children, as I was. Just don't know.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I know I did the right thing for my child, no doubt in my mind. But that's kind of why I have reserved judgement on this whole thing, because I really don't know what the truth is.
What if I were sitting around my living room drinking a glass of wine after I put this child to bed.
If someone were to come in, they could say, truthfully, that I lockd up my child and then started drinking. Doesn't sound too good for me, when in fact it is nothing. I have been very curious about this story and have hoped all along that these people really were acting in the best interest of the children, as I was. Just don't know.

I always defended the "cages" it made sense to me from the very beginning.

 

[alpharee]

this case is very near my town and is talked about heavily in the office. I really don't have an opinion. I'm like Jbean on this one. I'm a little clueless here.

 

[LinasK]

I saw the pictures of these cages. JBean, your baby was just that- a baby not a grown child. These cages were not "clubhouses" like the parents claimed, and that's inhumane to not give them blankets and pillows, they were not beds, only rubber matresses in cages. I don't believe they didn't keep them in at night by shoving the dressers up against them. 11 disabled special needs children were clearly more than they could handle, but they wouldn't admit it. The Gravelle's were only out for the money they got from having these kids. Their own children talked about what lousy parents they were- I tend to believe them. Children like this belong in a locked institution, not CAGES!:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: That social worker needs her head examined!!!:behindbar

 

[concernedperson]

I saw the pictures of these cages. JBean, your baby was just that- a baby not a grown child. These cages were not "clubhouses" like the parents claimed, and that's inhumane to not give them blankets and pillows, they were not beds, only rubber matresses in cages. I don't believe they didn't keep them in at night by shoving the dressers up against them. 11 disabled special needs children were clearly more than they could handle, but they wouldn't admit it. The Gravelle's were only out for the money they got from having these kids. Their own children talked about what lousy parents they were- I tend to believe them. Children like this belong in a locked institution, not CAGES!:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: That social worker needs her head examined!!!:behindbar

I so agree with your post. These children were treated in an inhumane fashion. I saw the pics of the cages too. I had an agressive baby who walked and never did crawl and was pretty adept at jumping out of her crib too. Jbeans turning the crib over was a good solution to an aggressive BABY, not a special needs child. Special needs children need the most humane and endearing care in the world not cornering when their disabilities are hard to handle. These children are older and are thinking and must believe their world is a very scary place. They need the professional care that our society can provide....not the fact that someone will take them in. That in itself is disheartening.

 

[LinasK]

So glad you're back CP:blowkiss:

 

[concernedperson]

So glad you're back CP:blowkiss:

Back atcha sweetheart! :blowkiss:

 

[mysteriew]

Back atcha sweetheart! :blowkiss:

Good to see you. I been wondering where you were.

Ok, here is what my opinion is based on.
"Caging" the kids is not an optimal situation. But it is considerably less restrictive than the alternatives. If the kids were not in foster care, they would most likely be institutionalized. Once institutionalized if they judged to be a danger to themselves or others (by the pica problems or through behavior problems) they would be in a locked ward, seldom allowed out. They would be confined to their beds. Most likely through physical restraints. If you have never seen physical restraints, the institutional restraints are often leather straps (with padding) a strap to each extremity, literally tying them to their beds. This would be done for the length of time necessary to get them medicated. And I am talking heavy medication.
They would have little opportunity to bond with adults, a lot of opportunities to learn some anti social behaviors, and very few opportunities to feel that anyone cared about them.
I think more investigation needs to be done on the dau. claims of abuse. But she waited a lot of years to make those claims. And one other dau. does deny the claims.
Only the kids themselves can actually tell how they were being treated, other than the "cages". Only the kids themselves can tell if they were being abused, or if they were being blocked into their cage. And that info will only come out if there is a court case.

 

[txsvicki]

my grandson was exposed to drugs during pregnancy and does not behave quite right especially when he is sick. He is a terror, in fact. This summer, he poured 2 bottles of dish soap all in my floor and got it in his eyes, tore strings out of every nice new cotton blanket, took half the threads out of my shag throw rug, took all the pictures off his bedroom wall, tore up some curtains, pulled down the shades, tore up his plastic toy tubs, pulled the strings out all down the edge of his rug, and tore up his toddler bed. This is in addition to biting and fighting with his sister. Before I finally realized that the family had a chronic stomach infection this summer causing his bad behaviour, I wanted to lock him in his room but of course didn't. I know you can't do that, it's not legal and would look wrong if someone saw it. Instead I put his mattress on the floor since he tore his bed up and left the room much plainer so there'd be nothing to bother him until I could find out what was wrong. Troubled, disabled kids can really be a nightmare to try and figure out and care for.

 

[SewingDeb]

There is also the problem that in some states (OH included) it is necessary for the family to sign over custody of the child to the state in order to receive assistance in some cases. There is a child with severe problems in my family, and that "solution" has been proposed. A loving parent would have to be really desperate to do that, IMO.

I agree.