http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/09/Citrus/Testimony__Dollar_chi.shtml
Testimony: Dollar children lived like war prisoners
A psychologist compared five of John and Linda Dollar's children to American GIs who were tortured while captives during the Korean War.
By ABBIE VAN SICKLE
Published September 9, 2005
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INVERNESS - John and Linda Dollar brainwashed their children, leading the kids to believe they deserved to be tortured for stealing food and sneaking out of the closet where they slept, said Thomas Dikel, a psychologist who examined the children.
During an Aug. 29 closed hearing where a judge ruled the children could testify by videotape at the trial, Dikel compared the children's experience to that of prisoners of war.
"Although it sounds awfully melodramatic, I would maintain that it is very close to what happened to the American GIs during the Korean War in prisoner-of-war camps, both in terms of starvation, isolation, torture, being forced to watch their friends being tortured, also the psychological torture," he said.
Dikel's testimony was made available this week in John and Linda Dollar's court files. The Dollars are accused of torturing five of their eight adopted children. Prosecutors say the couple starved the children, shocked them with a cattle prod and pulled out their toenails with pliers.
The couple have pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated child abuse. They are being held at the Citrus County jail awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 31.
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When Vaughn asked Dikel whether the children could have made up the whole story about being tortured, Dikel said he had seen the physical evidence in the case and couldn't imagine the allegations were false.
There's a lot of evidence to support their claims of torture, including severe malnourishment and starvation, he said.
The children's lack of growth and their failure to go through puberty matches up with these accusations, Dikel said.
He said he has seen pieces of toenails entered into evidence
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