GUILTY WI - Chad & Melinda Chritton, Joshua Drabek for abuse of 15yo girl, Madison, 2012

[Belinda]

She was 70 lb at 15, and CPS believed the complaints were unsubstantiated? What exactly does CPS need to substantiate the complaints?

Oh, but when they saw her, she looked just fine. Yeah, right. :maddening:

 

[SuziQ]

This breaks my heart. This poor girl has known nothing but abuse her entire life. A CPS referral was made when she was just a few months old.

 

[Belinda]

What are the chances this girl will ever live a normal life? Probably nil. She's had no food. She's had no schooling. She's had no integration with society. That's if she even lives, according to the doctors statement. To see that <modsnip> sitting in the wheelchair made my blood boil. They obviously had plenty of food in that household.

 

[Quiche]

What a nightmare-- thank God she ran! I think that instinct, right there, is what reassures me that she's not too far gone to want the help she might access. Her experience is akin to a prisoner of war, may she flourish with the aide of her own "countrymen," the community surrounding that house of horrors.

I can't help but be reminded of a dear dog I adopted as a stray... she was just a little over a year and had whelped a litter of pups in a along a creekside. Her nest was discovered and her pups taken in by animal control, but she was too fearful to be caught by them. Long story a little shorter, when she came to me she was still thin and scraggly, and when fed, she'd take mouthfuls from her dish to a spot in the garden, bury some it, then sleep on it. This went on for about a month until she was reassured that she was indeed going to be fed and kept warm and comforted. She ended up being one of the best family dogs we've ever had.

So, I guess what I'm saying is: I think this young girl obviously has the will to survive-- she ran! I have great hope for her. People (and other creatures) come back from this kind of prolonged maltreatment, often as shining lights in our futures. I will pray she's placed in a circumstance that stokes her innate brilliance and nourishes her spirit, as well as her body.

 

[MomLady]

She wasn't in school but protective services didn't see this as a red flag? What were they thinking??

Another case of "we gotta keep the family together" gone wrong.

JMO

MomLady

 

[MarthaM]

Looking at the timeline for CPS involvement, I can see how they might not have seen anything physically wrong with this girl in the earlier visits. But in the later ones? I mean, I can see how she might have looked on the small side when she was 12 or 13, but during CPS's 2011 visit her appearance should have raised a lot of red flags. Of course, we don't know if she still looked okay at the point, and the starvation part of it began or escalated since then.

The last sentence in the article at http://www.channel3000.com/news/30475617/detail.html is very telling, especially taken with the stepmother's posts on the Yahoo group that were linked to the other day:

Chad Chritton told police he'd sought help from Dane County Human Services for his daughter but had not found a "workable solution."

To me, it sounds like what he'd consider a 'workable solution' would be somebody diagnosing the girl with something so that the fault would be all hers, and not his his wife's or her son's.

 

[jjenny]

It looks like this poor child has been screaming for help for years. She used to attend elementary school and according to school would refuse to leave the bus to go home. Which I presume is the reason she was pulled out of school. The step-brother is on probation for sexual contact with another child. And what was CPS doing all this time? I just don't get it.

"The complaint states the girl attended Glendale Elementary School in the past, but often would refuse to leave the school bus to go home. The complaint states during one social work investigation, staff received information Chritton and Drabek-Chritton were "...trying to make basement bedroom not look like a dungeon.""
http://www.waow.com/story/16956727/starved-girls-family-members-charged

 

[jjenny]

I think I've read this whole thread but I can't find the answer to: Where is her mother??

Apparently in TX married to a sex offender. Looks like that poor child couldn't get a break anywhere. I am not sure what her chance of a normal life are going to be with that sort of upbringing, but at least she didn't end up dead.

"Chad Chritton told investigators that he had full custody of SLC because her biological mother had married a sex offender in Texas, the complaint said. SLC told police that when she was living in Texas with her mother and stepfather that her stepfather sexually assaulted her "once in a while when (she) was 8," the complaint said."
http://www.channel3000.com/news/30475617/detail.html

 

[mom2six]

FWIW I don't see that alone as a red flag for abuse. We have a problem with our 11 y/o dd 'stealing' food. I do call it that because she takes it without asking and sneaks it into another room and then conceals the evidence. She's a smart cookie.

Yes, we have had this exactly with a couple of our kids, which I do consider stealing. Also, we've had treats bought for field trip snack in the sack lunch or for a birthday child to take to school that mysteriously "disappeared" and I also consider that stealing. My kids have open access to any fruits or vegies and healthy snacks between meals, but anything like chips or cookies are off limits except when mom or dad doles them out.

 

[mom2six]

I'm finding this to be a fascinating subject. I didn't realize that children sometimes do steal food even though properly cared for. Yet, we have seen so much abuse that includes starvation of the child. It's apparently not the automatic red flag that I thought it was. Why would a child being properly fed hoard food? Is there a medical diagnosis for this? Is this something they will outgrow? So, I guess it would have to be stealing food combined with a failure to thrive to constitute the red flag.

My oldest was terrible for this. Frankly, he just wanted the junk food that I kept restricted, and would sneak it to get more. He has outgrown this for the most part. He has also always struggled with impulse control. He had threatened his next oldest sister violently and was on ADHD meds for awhile. He has outgrown all of this behavior and is really quite a mature, responsible 14 going on 15 yo young man. I credit a lot of adult interaction for this. He spent vast quantities of time with his grandpa before he passed away a few years back, is a committed member of our local adult community band, and works hard with another member of our parish for his lawn business. I think he prefers adults over other kids a lot of the time.

 

[hambirg]

According to the affidavit, Drabek-Chritton was home-schooling the girl.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_b0c5405e-5756-11e1-819b-001871e3ce6c.html

Why is it that I cringe every time I read that in these types of cases?! :furious:

I'm not trying to make this about homeschooling. I know there are some very conscientious parents who do a wonderful job and have their reasons for homeschooling. BUT there needs to be some kinds of safeguards built in to allowing children to be home schooled. It is too often seen in these cases of abuse, where the child is "homeschooled" just so they are not subject to the watchful eyes of the mandatory reporters at school. It makes me mad that the parents can just so easily eliminate that safety net for children.

ETA- I don't consider my kids eating anything in the house "stealing." I went through a period with my son where he would sneak spoonfuls of brown sugar out of the canister. That was sneaking, because he was sneaky when he did it. But I never restricted anything in the house from the kids being able to eat it. They learned pretty quickly to not eat too much junk because they would end up with a belly ache. I would tell them that. . ."don't eat too many brownies or you'll get sick", etc. But I consider any food in the house free game. I buy it so they can eat it. The way I always looked at it is it's up to them to monitor their own consumption. They are actually very good at it (better than me, lol!). I suppose if one of them was very overweight I might feel differently about monitoring what they eat. But to me it would still be "sneaking" and not "stealing."

 

[MorenoI]

OMG is all I can say:

15 years old, abused, neglected, and sexually abused by people who were supposed to protect and love her....I hope this child is able to overcome and grow just like a child her age should. Just in a couple days she gained 17 pounds....that is telling enough for me. JMO

 

[MarthaM]

I have always had some concerns about homeschooling in general, even though I've seen it done successfully. I have yet to figure out how to prevent people like the Chrittons from being able to do it without penalizing those who do it well. It can be so isolating, and that's a recipe for disaster in households like this. What's the answer? I just don't know.

I can't remember if any of the articles said whether the one school-aged sibling in the house went to traditional school or was homeschooled.

I don't really have an opinion about the term 'stealing' used within a home when it comes to taking food s/he's not supposed to. I guess that's what it means to steal, so the word technically fits. I just think it's odd to use it, I suppose. I'd just say that a kid was taking food without permission, or eating something he wasn't supposed to. To me, if someone told me their kid was stealing food in the house, I'd picture him going into a sibling's room and raiding their stash of Snickers bars, not helping himself to something in the kitchen.

 

[jjenny]

I have no idea why we have all these discussion about kids "stealing" food. This child was reportedly extremely malnourished when found, and gained a lot of weight in a short period of time after removed from the house. Doctors diagnosed her as suffering from persistent starvation. So we are not talking about a child trying to steal some candy they aren't supposed to eat.

 

[MarthaM]

I have no idea why we have all these discussion about kids "stealing" food. This child was reportedly extremely malnourished when found, and gained a lot of weight in a short period of time after removed from the house. Doctors diagnosed her as suffering from persistent starvation. So we are not talking about a child trying to steal some candy they aren't supposed to eat.

Early in this thread, some posts that the stepmother put on a public Yahoo group showed her referring to the girl 'stealing' food. From that, a discussion started about whether use of the word 'stealing' could raise some red flags about something going on in the home. That's why it's being discussed. I think it's important to realize that some people whose children aren't in an abusive situation do use that term, and that just because someone uses it doesn't always mean that a red flag has gone up.

Hope that helps.

 

[MarthaM]

Local media are sharing an address to which people can send cards and notes of support to this girl:

Send Letter to Child Abuse Victim:

Dane County Human Services
In care of : Julie Ahnen
1202 Northport Dr
Madison, WI 53704


They specifically said not to send money, just cards and notes.

 

[jjenny]

Early in this thread, some posts that the stepmother put on a public Yahoo group showed her referring to the girl 'stealing' food. From that, a discussion started about whether use of the word 'stealing' could raise some red flags about something going on in the home. That's why it's being discussed. I think it's important to realize that some people whose children aren't in an abusive situation do use that term, and that just because someone uses it doesn't always mean that a red flag has gone up.

Hope that helps.

I see many things that should have indicated the red flag for CPS but apparently meant absolutely nothing to them.

 

[x_files]

She was 70 lb at 15, and CPS believed the complaints were unsubstantiated? What exactly does CPS need to substantiate the complaints?

You got me! Didn't think that was odd? No doctor visits, no school?
Maybe the mom paid them off or knew them.
I think CPS doesn't know what they are doing.
Why did her dad marry an unattractive and abusive woman with a rapist as a son? I am shocked he didn't beat the heck out of her son and toss them to curb or call the cops. Am I missing something?

 

[JeannaT]

She was 70 lb at 15, and CPS believed the complaints were unsubstantiated? What exactly does CPS need to substantiate the complaints?

As I understood it, the complaint was filed years ago when he was healthy.

 

[jjenny]

I think CPS had no clue as to what they are doing. This child was reportedly living in the basement and alarm would sound if she left the basement. The basement had no bathroom so the child would reportedly defecate and urinate in the basement. It had to stink to high heavens in that basement, but none of that raised red flags to CPS, despite a number of complaints about the child?