“Caged Kids Trial”: Ohio Couple Charged with Child Endangerment
Michael and Sharen Gravelle have been charged with endangering the lives of their adopted children as reported in the December 16th ToledoBlade.com. The Gravelles have eleven adopted children, some of whom were required to sleep in cages with alarms for three years, and some of whom have fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, and pica.
On Friday, eight of the felony charges against the Gravelles alleging that they had “posed a substantial risk of serious physical harm to their adopted children” were reduced to misdemeanours. Eight additional felony charges—that “the Gravelles posed a substantial risk of seriously impairing or retarding the mental health or development of the children”—remain unchanged, as do eight misdemeanour counts that “the Gravelles presented substantial risk to the health and safety of the children.” Therapist Elaine Thompson is under indictment for failing to report child abuse in the Gravelles’ home; she has testified that the Gravelles’ children were her main source of income for her business.
Ms. Thompson testified she learned about the cages in March, 2003, after the couple began using the enclosures.
She said she understood the cages were not designed as a long-term solution and only intended to address behavioral problems in the children……
But when questioned about whether she discussed the structures with the youngsters during weekly therapy sessions, Ms. Thompson said no.
Ms. Thompson was asked if the harsh, shrill noise of the alarms on the children’s cages could exacerbate and increase the children’s anxiety.
She responded that she believed the alarms were “not a perfect solution,” but were effective in protecting the safety of the children.
“It is not a pleasant sound. But when given the choice between being physically abused by the other children, I would have chosen the alarm.”
I have read about autistic persons kept in cages in Peru in 1975 (p. 9 in Unstrange Mind: Remapping the World of Autism by Roy Richard Grinker) but this is the USA at the start of the 21st century…..
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Adoption, Crime, Legal Issues
1 opinion for “Caged Kids Trial”: Ohio Couple Charged with Child Endangerment
Another Voice
Dec 18, 2006 at 11:16 pm
It appears that we have not progressed beyond Peru, 1975. We have got to do better than this. Children sleeping in cages; in my country, in 2006??? Classifying that as a misdemeanor! No! The court system and the department of child services in Ohio is just broken beyond repair. Clear out the rubbish and start over.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: