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

[Belinda]

Her father and stepmother have been charged with child abuse, child neglect and reckless endangerment. The charges carry a maximum combined prison sentence of 11 years, 3 months.

From Steadfast's link. BBM - That's it? The max is 11 years? For what they did to that girl? Which means they won't get anywhere near that. I am utterly disgusted. I bet they plea it down to a couple of years.

 

[Mohabi]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t3#/video/crime/2012/02/21/nr-vega-malnourished-girl-found.cnn


Sorry if this was posted somewhere else already.

 

[STEADFAST]

The State is now investigating the Dane County Department of Children and Families for their handling of this case.

The review's purpose is to identify ways to reduce and prevent serious injuries, identify factors that may have negatively affected the case and possibly develop recommendations to improve the quality of child protective services, according to state records.
The state also could require child welfare officials to submit a corrective action plan. If so, they have 60 days after receipt of the final report and the state will monitor it to make sure it's implemented.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/state_...8ba-5bf5-a44a-2f9ad912792c.html#ixzz1oxtRIVzM
​

According to an earlier open records request in the case, the Department of Children and Families noted there had been 10 reports of suspected neglect, sexual abuse or physical abuse since 2006, including three that are still pending. Those three include a report on Feb. 6, the day the motorist spotted her.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/state_...8ba-5bf5-a44a-2f9ad912792c.html#ixzz1oxqfkMfG
​

Preliminary hearing for the parents is tomorrow, Mar 13.

 

[STEADFAST]

Girl's interview with LE released.

The videotaped interview shows a small 15-year-old girl clutching her stuffed bunny, dabbing her eyes and detailing alleged abuse and starvation by her parents and step-brother. The interview is between the victim and Safe Harbor investigators.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/30671281/detail.html
:furious:

Defense attorney William Hayes represents the father. He has hinted that he questions the girl's mental health. He said he reviewed her story "and the word `rubbish' came to mind."

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines...ase_of_Significant_Child_Abuse_139305473.html

 

[not_my_kids]

They released the interview? Dear Lord, this child just can't get a break can she? I see no reason that her forensic interview detailing the most horrible moments of her life should have been released to the general public.

Poor kid just keeps getting violated.

 

[STEADFAST]

They released the interview? Dear Lord, this child just can't get a break can she? I see no reason that her forensic interview detailing the most horrible moments of her life should have been released to the general public.

Poor kid just keeps getting violated.

Even though both the prosecution and the defense argued against releasing the tape, the judge ordered it to be released.

 

[jjenny]

Even though both the prosecution and the defense argued against releasing the tape, the judge ordered it to be released.

I don't understand why. After all 15 year old is a minor.

 

[STEADFAST]

I don't understand why. After all 15 year old is a minor.

Journalists and a newspaper's attorney argued for its release. The point was that the tape was standing in lieu of testimony from the girl (It had been played privately for the judge instead of in open court), and so it needed to be treated as any public-trial evidence would be.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...nary-hearing/2012/03/13/gIQAlvev8R_story.html

 

[STEADFAST]

New charges added today:

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne on Monday filed new felony counts of causing a child mental harm, failing to protect a child, false imprisonment and child neglect against both Chad Chritton and Melinda Drabek-Chritton. http://www.channel3000.com/news/Pro...l-case/-/1648/10920916/-/12jgbk1/-/index.html

Also the stepmom/defendant is claiming that her own health issues are not being

 

[Tristan]

This is one of the sickest cases I have ever seen!

I hope this young girl can get some recovery and be placed in a loving home.

 

[STEADFAST]

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who are facing felony charges for allegedly starving and torturing the girl and keeping her in a basement have set up a website seeking donations from the public to pay their lawyers.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...b74-11e1-b3fc-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz1ucQMTfeX
​

BBM :furious::what::sigh::notgood:

 

[Belinda]

BBM :furious::what::sigh::notgood:

OMG! Un-freaking-believable! Not gonna say anything else. Sitting on hands.

 

[lisalei321]

BBM :furious::what::sigh::notgood:

This doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would :waitasec:

Better idiots giving away their own money, then the taxpayors of that state.

 

[STEADFAST]

This doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would :waitasec:

Better idiots giving away their own money, then the taxpayors of that state.

That's a good point. I don't think their attorneys are court-appointed ones. The article implies that it's actually one of the attorneys who put up the website.

 

[STEADFAST]

People to whom WISC-TV showed the website to in downtown Madison on Thursday said they weren't buying the couple's claims. . . . An attorney for Chad Chritton didn't want to discuss the website, but he said Chad Chritton initiated it. Since Chad Chritton remains in jail, it's highly unlikely he created the website, WISC-TV reported.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/Web...tarved-teen-case/-/1648/13068318/-/10rqhdz/-/

 

[STEADFAST]

Chad Chritton's abuse trial started yesterday. This article has a fairly detailed summary of the first day. The trial is expected to take about 2 weeks.

The line was drawn starkly Tuesday as the trial started for a Madison man accused of keeping his emaciated daughter locked in the basement.
To prosecutors, the 15-year-old girl who fled the home of Chad Chritton last February was courageous, freeing herself from a bad situation where she was so starved she had to scrounge garbage cans for food and was kept locked in a basement where she was forced to urinate and defecate on the floor.
But to Chritton's lawyer, William Hayes, the girl was a problem that Chritton, 41, couldn't solve despite his best efforts. She suffered psychiatric problems and on her own refused to eat.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_ce8bb28a-803b-11e2-8a1f-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[believe09]

hmmm-they were willing to install quite an expensive outfit to secure her and protect themselves from her (cameras, alarms yada yada), but were unwilling to keep her somewhere that she could be adequately cared for? :waitasec:

That dog dont hunt for me

 

[believe09]

One additional point-undoubtedly they have camera footage of her...surely there was recording ability and they can document much of their case about her behavior in the basement.

A basement. They cant spin that one away.

 

[STEADFAST]

Some highlights of today's trial:

. . . Immediately after she was hospitalized, the girl’s weight began to rise, and by Feb. 10 it was up to 77 pounds, Swedlund testified. By the time she was discharged after 11 days in the hospital, her weight was up to 92 pounds. . . . the initial focus was on treating a possible eating disorder and that it was believed that inpatient psychiatric treatment would be needed.But Swedlund testified that after being seen by the child abuse team at UW Children’s Hospital, the recommendation was not to hospitalize her for psychiatric care . . .
. . . “She was a sweet girl,” said her teacher, Dawn Michaels.
Michaels also said that the girl on occasion cried about having to go home, and special education assistant Debra DiSalvo said there were times outside the school when she wouldn’t get on the bus to go home.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_3a2f3be0-8115-11e2-8bb3-001a4bcf887a.html

In short, the hospital staff says that the child did NOT have psychiatric disorders like her dad and stepmom claim -- she was flat starved. Also, it was obvious to the staff at school that she was afraid to go home.

 

[believe09]

Some highlights of today's trial:
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_3a2f3be0-8115-11e2-8bb3-001a4bcf887a.html

In short, the hospital staff says that the child did NOT have psychiatric disorders like her dad and stepmom claim -- she was flat starved. Also, it was obvious to the staff at school that she was afraid to go home.

I dont think that is a surprise to anyone here. Imagine the validation this little girl will finally have when she has succeeded in putting away the three abusers.