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Most recent abuse cases

This archive contains cases of abuse of children within the child placement system.

Some of the these children have been killed, other's survived but suffered from:

In several cases the abuse was hidden from authorities under the pretext of homeschooling.

For an overview of abuse cases by location, see this map.

To make this list as complete as possible we can use your help. If you know of cases not covered, or know of articles not listed with the cases, please subscribe to this group and help maintain this section of the website or send links and articles to this mail address.

Danielle Ellington

17-year-old girl adopted by Linda Ellington and her husband was tried to be set on fire by her adopted mother. The Ellington's had four more adopted children, including Danielle's brother.
Date: 2009-06-05
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Louisville, Kentucky
United States
See map: Google Maps

Mark Robinson

18-year-old boy placed in foster care was sexually abused. No back ground checks had been performed which would have revealed imminent danger.
Date: 2009-06-03
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Foster father

Placement

Organizations: Life Without Barriers

Location

New South Wales
Australia

Girl adopted by Eddy and Donna Whisenhunt

7-year-old girl adopted from China at 11 months, by  Eddy and Donna Whisenhunt, was sexually assaulted for 4 years by both her adoptive parents.

December 11, 2009, Eddy Tony Whisenhunt pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree child rape.
Donna Marie Whisenhunt also pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree child rape
Date: 2009-05-14
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother

Placement

Persons: John J Meske

Location

Lacey, Washington
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy in foster care with Lonnell and Joyce Sims

2-year-old boy in foster care with Lonnell Sims and Joyce Ann Savage Sims was taken into the hospital with of blunt-force trauma to the head. He will likely need care for the rest of his life
Date: 2009-05-11
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Undetermined

Location

Conecuh County, Alabama
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girls in care of Jeffrey Caldwell at the Sacramento County Assessment Center

A 15-year-old and a 16-year-old girl, while at the Sacramento County Assessment Center, were sexually molested by Jeffrey Caldwell, a worker at the group home.
Date: 2009-05-08
Placement type: Institution
Institution: Sacramento County Assessment Center
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Other non-family member

Location

Sacramento, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Elena Varela

4 year old girl admitted to the hospital with fractures to both legs and her right arm and severe bruising on her legs, arms, upper and lower back, abdomen and head. Her parents Raul and Tricia Varela held her the potty for 3 hours and then beat her with a shoe and spatulas, in a potty training battle. The family has 2 biological sons, ages 7 and 9; and four adopted daughters, ages 2 to 8. The girls were apparently adopted after Oct 2006
Date: 2009-04-25
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother

Location

Goodyear, Arizona
United States
See map: Google Maps

Shylea Myza Thomas



9-year-old girl adopted by her aunt was found dead found in a black trash bag, stuffed into a plastic bin with mothballs and locked in a storage unit near Flint.
Date: 2009-04-22
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Flint, Michigan
United States
See map: Google Maps

2 girls in foster care with Mark and Annmarie Ashby

2 girls in foster care with Mark and Annmarie Ashby were allegedly sexually abused by their foster father.
Date: 2009-04-14
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Foster father

Location

Marion, Illinois
United States
See map: Google Maps

Tiffany Sue Banks



21-month-old girl in foster care with Bonnie Pattinson died of asphyxia associated with multiple blunt-traumatic injuries. On September 11, 2009, Bonnie Pattinson was arrested and charged with murder.
Date: 2009-04-02
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Champion, Ohio
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girls in foster care with Patrick Lee Casey and his wife

Two girls in foster care with Patrick Lee Casey and his wife were sexually abused by their foster father. two girls, who were ages 3 and 4 when the abuse started, were repeatedly abused from 1997 to 2008.
Date: 2009-04-01
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Foster father

Location

Clifton, Colorado
United States
See map: Google Maps

Gleb Ageyev (Aleksey)

Gleb Ageyev was adopted at age 3 along with a sister Polina. He was beaten by his mother, his injuries included head trauma, genital mutilation,  burns and missing front teeth. This was a domestic Russian adoption.
Date: 2009-03-31
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Korobov, Moscow (Province)
Russia

Samantha and Saraphina Revelus

 
Samantha was murdered and Saraphina was stabbed by their non-adopted brother during a rampage in which he also decapitated his 5 year old sister. Samantha and Saraphina were adopted from Haiti in 2004.
Date: 2009-03-28
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Non-adopted sibling

Location

Milton, Massachusetts
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girl adopted by Patrick Ryan Harrison

At the time 12-year-old girl, adopted by Patrick Ryan Harrison, was raped by her adoptive father.
Date: 2009-03-18
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Annapolis, Maryland
United States
See map: Google Maps

Kevin Michael King (D. J. Atkins)



5-year-old boy adopted by Gloria Grayson was found dead with blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen. Keven was also abused in foster care.
Date: 2009-03-08
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Bakersfield, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy adopted by Earl and Diane Fletcher

All four children of  Earl and  Diane Fletcher, of which one adopted, were physically abused.
Date: 2009-03-04
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother

Location

Price Township, Pennsylvania
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girl in foster care abused by Randy Horton

7-year-old girl in foster care was sexually abused by Randy Horton, the boy friend of her foster mother.
Date: 2009-03-04
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Other non-family member

Location

Anderson, Indiana
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Jean-Pierre O. and Anne-Marie O.

Jean-Pierre O., a 73 year-old former professor of literature, accused of having raped his adoptive son during several years and of abusing his two grandchildren, has been sentenced 15 years of imprisonment by the Assize court of Savoie.
His wife, Anne-Marie O. was also sentenced of three years in prison with 30 months suspended for not denouncing her husband, or preventing his actions, especially at home.

The investigation had started in 2006, after a school assistant alerted the justice about a five-year old boy molested by his grandfather Jean-Pierre O. The boy's father revealed to the investigators that he was himself raped by the accused, his adoptive father,  for years, as well as his brother, also adopted. The man said he had been unable to report the events that he preferred to forget until his father attacks his own son.

During his detention, Jean-Pierre O. has actually admitted to having abused his  two grandchildren, aged 5 and 8 years between 2000 and 2003.  He also admitted of having raped his two adoptive sons.

His sons, the children of DDASS (direction départementale des Affaires sanitaires et sociales, in France), now close to their 40s, said they had suffered rape and oral sex several times a week, sometimes in the marriage bed, "for over 20 years."

But the accused will only be judged for  the rape committed on one of his adoptive son, the facts concerning the latter being barred.

Learning the abuses of his husband on his two grandchildren in 2004, Anne-Marie O., a pious woman, was living in "denial" as the experts explained. She pressed his son so that nothing comes outside the family by speaking of forgiveness and the "good side" of Jean-Pierre O. who is also a devout catholic.



Date: 2009-03-00
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Home schooling: no

Location

Savoie
France

Joshua Pinckney



2 year old adopted from Guatemala, died from multiple blows to his head. Allegedly killed by his mother's married, live in boyfriend Christopher Brian Gilreath, a convicted rapist. Gilreath is charged with murder, mother Miriam Pinckney pled to a cruelty to children charge. An adopted toddler girl (Maria, also from Guatemala) was removed from the home. The children's father was living in another state, and now has custody of the girl.
Date: 2009-02-13
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Other non-family member

Location

Cumming, Georgia
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy adopted by Tai-Ling Gigliotti

16 year old boy adopted at age 4 in Taiwan by his biological aunt Tai-Ling (Han) Gigliotti. She beat him for at least 3 years ending in 2009 when he escaped from the home after he was beat with a board and a hose. His arm was broken; he was covered with bruises and lacerations.
Date: 2009-02-11
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes

Location

Spring Hill, Florida
United States
See map: Google Maps

Curtis Williams



9-month-old boy in foster care with Angela Deniece Dukes, was taped a pacifier into his mouth, which obstructed his breathing and resulted in his death. Curtis had been in foster care less than 24 hours.
Date: 2009-02-08
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Cayce, South Carolina
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girls adopted by Stephen L. and Melina Ann McPherson

Three girls living at Hope Haven Children's Home were sexually abused by Stephen L. McPherson and Melina Ann McPherson, while working as house parent supervisors. The couple later adopted the girls.
Date: 2009-01-27
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Location

Virginia Beach, Virginia
United States
See map: Google Maps

Melody Aranda Velasquez



Three year old adopted girl's death under investigation due to numerous injuries. She died from blunt force trauma 2 days after her injury. Her 2 father family consisted of Norberto Velasquez and Matthew Aranda and 3 other adopted children: two 5-year-olds boys and a 3-year-old boy. The other children are in state custody. Mr. Aranda has been charged with the death, and Mr. Velasquez with not seeking medical care sooner.
Date: 2009-01-09
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Lethal neglect
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Bexar County, Texas
United States
See map: Google Maps

Alexis 'Lexie' Glover

 

13-year-old girl adopted by Alfreedia Gregg-Glover, disappeared on January 7, 2009. Her dead body was found two weeks later in a Woodbridge, Va, creek. Freedia Glover was later arrested for killing Alexis.
Date: 2009-01-07
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Manassas, Virginia
United States
See map: Google Maps

Frances Smith and Christina Moore, foster daughters of Zion Dutro

Frances Smith and Christina Moore, foster children (bio nieces) of Zion and Glenda Lea Dutro were tortured and sexually abused for years by Zion Dutro. He also abused 4 biological daughters. Glenda Lea Dutro facilitated the abuse. Frances and Christina are shown 2nd and 3rd from the left.  Zion Dutro was a registered sex offender and on probation for a 1995 conviction for sexually abusing one of the 6 daughters. After his conviction, he returned to live with the family.The girls were homeschooled and the family attended a Pentecostal church. Dutros were attempting to adopt in Mexico when the adult daughters reported the abuse (again).
Date: 2009-01-01
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Sexual abuse
Abuser: Foster father, Foster mother
Home schooling: yes
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Location

Antioch, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Samauri Mayes

 

Samauri Mayes was beaten and taken to an emergency room Dec 31, 2008. She was removed from life support on Jan 2nd. She and her siblings were removed from her family due to drug problems. She had been in foster care with a family member Lavonda Maxwell for 14 months. Charges are pending.
Date: 2008-12-31
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Foster mother, Undetermined

Homestudy

Organizations: South Carolina DSS

Location

greenville, South Carolina
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children residing at Tampa Bay Academy

At Tampa Bay Academy, a residential treatment center in Riverview, Fl. failed to protect its residents from sexually abusing one another. 54 children were removed and the center lost its license.
Date: 2008-12-17
Placement type: Adoption
Institution: Tampa Bay Academy
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Undetermined

Location

Riverview, Florida
United States
See map: Google Maps

Carl Deloney

5-year-old boy in foster care with Oswaldo and Luz Peralta died from bleeding from the brain.
Date: 2008-12-15
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Death by unknown cause
Abuser: Undetermined

Placement

Location

Bakersfield, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Samuel Hudson (David) and five other adopted children of William and Cynthia Hudson



Samuel Hudson, 13 years old,  was killed on December 2008. Cynthia Hudson, his adoptive mother, is charged with capital murder in his death. Officials said  Samuel was restrained and beaten to death with a broom handle, rake, computer cord, and baseball bat. William Hudson has been arrested on a tampering with evidence charge in the death of his adopted son.

Children reported being beaten with a fishing rod, a water hose, a metal bat, a paddle and their mother's fist. One child reported having to hold pepper in her mouth. They were confined to a prayer room at times.

The Hudsons are also being investigated for allegedly injuring their other five adopted children. Samuel's natural mother, Rebecca Henson and her husband, are seeking custody of the his two bio siblings, also in the Hudson's family
Date: 2008-12-09
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes

Placement

Organizations: Texas CPS

Location

Queen City, Texas
United States
See map: Google Maps

Faith J. Ray (Samantha Foster)



2-year old girl adopted by Joe and Violet Ray was rushed to the hospital where she was found to have bleeding of her brain, multiple bruises on her arms, chest, legs, and thighs, as well as vaginal tearing. Several hours later she died. Her death was declared a homicide. Faith was one of 6 adopted children; two from private adoption agencies, four from DCF, including Faith and her 1-year-old bio brother.
Date: 2008-12-08
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Bellevue, Florida
United States
See map: Google Maps

Child C

Police are investigating allegations a serious abuse against a five-year-old boy, known as "Child C", while he was in the care of Haringey.

Child C was snatched from his home in Africa and adopted as a "miracle baby" by a follower Gilbert Deya, the evangelist who has been at the centre of investigations into a "miracle baby" child-trafficking scandal, with infants allegedly stolen and passed to infertile women who were then convinced they had conceived through prayer.Once in the UK, the follower adopted the five-year-old, but he was seized by police in 2003 and taken into care where he has passed through six different sets of carers.

His sixth, and final, foster carer, who looked after him for 15 months, forged a strong bond with the child, but partly because her north African ethnic background was different to that of the boy, Haringey council opposed her application to adopt him. Instead, social workers fast-tracked his adoption by a black couple of Caribbean origin instead.  Since being placed with the adoptive parents allegations have surfaced that Child C was admitted to intensive care in a coma in 2006.

The authorities were alerted when concerns were raised by a consultant child psychiatrist after the boy was taken to hospital. The Guardian quoted a report which said that while in care of an adoptive couple, Child C had his head banged against a wall so hard that he needed hospital treatment. Anonymous complainants suggested that Child C was unhappy and would not eat properly. The adoptive mother complained that he was wrecking her marriage and left him with a social worker, it was claimed, only taking him back when the local authority agreed to pay £26,000 for looking after Child C.

 

Date: 2008-12-07
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Placement

Organizations: Haringey Council

Location

Haringey
United Kingdom

Girl in foster care with Craig A. Niles

11-year-old girl in foster care with Craig Niles was sexually abused by him. Niles transmitted images of the assault over the internet. Much of the abuse occurred when Niles' wife, a 33-year-old woman from Thailand was away from home. She was not charged. There were other foster children in the home.
Date: 2008-11-16
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse, Sexual exploitation
Abuser: Foster father

Placement

Organizations: Dare Family Services

Location

West Stafford, Connecticut
United States
See map: Google Maps

Cameron Ouskan

13-month-old boy, in foster care with Roderick Tobie Blacksmith. Cameron died of injuries, Blacksmith is accused of inflicting.
Date: 2008-11-12
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Foster father

Location

Gillam, Manitoba
Canada
See map: Google Maps

Christopher and Christyanna Thomas

 

1-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl were removed from their parents house, because their father was in prison and their epileptic mother was supposed to be incapable of taking care of them, were placed with a caring foster family, then removed to be fostered by their aunt Crystal Keith. In her home the two children were severely abused. Multiple calls to report suspected abuse went unheeded. The boy died because of serious head injury and his sister, Christyanna was removed  her weight had fallen below the first percentile, she had four fractures, could not use her left arm, and had burns "from head to her foot, some of which were consistent with flowing water burns with blistering and oozing observed on those wounds.". She remains in foster care.
Date: 2008-11-10
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Foster mother, Other family member

Placement

Organizations: Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare
Persons: Denise Revels Robinson, director

Post placement

Organizations: La Causa (contract agency)

Location

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
United States
See map: Google Maps

Austin James Watkins

  Almost 5 year old boy starved to death while he and his 2 sibs were in foster care with his grandmother, Janice Mowdy, and aunt, Stephanie Bell. Austin Watkins was only 19 lbs when he died, and had not eaten in 2 weeks. The 3 other children in the home (sibs 9 & 6, 2 yr cousin Bell) were given adequate nutrition. Mowdy and Bell both pleaded guilty and got life without parole.
Date: 2008-11-09
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal neglect, Lethal deprivation
Abuser: Other family member

Placement

Organizations: Mississippi DHS

Location

lena, Mississippi
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy fostered by couple in a Perth suburb, Australia

A 6 year-old boy was found by child protection officers bruised, huddled and clutching his knees to his chest in the cot that had been converted to a virtual cage in a darkened garage in November last year. The only light was sunlight coming under the garage door. He was malnourished and weighed just over 12kg. The boy was given one or two meals a day, water, a screwdriver and saucepan to bang together when he needed to toilet. His body mass was so low that two months after going in to new care he suffered mild cardiac failure and returned to hospital.

His foster mother, 34, was jailed on Nov 7th for two years and eight months for reckless neglect of the boy. The woman also has five biological children, aged up to 15. Her husband, 31, the father of three of the six children, received a maximum jail term of three years and two months for assaulting the boy.

All the five natural children of the woman were well cared. The judge  read from the woman's police statement, where she described resenting the boy because he was not one of her natural children. She made his bedroom in the shed so he was out of the way of the family, the court was told.
Date: 2008-11-07
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Foster father, Foster mother

Location

Perth, Western Australia
Australia

Girl adopted by David and Christine Nordstrom

15-year-old girl adopted by David and Christine Nordstrom, adopted at the age of two, was being hand cuffed and beaten by her adoptive mother.
Date: 2008-11-04
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Verbal abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Lake Elsinore, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Paul and Paula Dunham

Sexual abuse among siblings in a family of 24 adopted, foster and (9) biological children. Some of the children came from disrupted placements and/or were family to family adoptions. Eight of the children were originally adopted from the Philippines. Some of the children were home-schooled. At least one child had a history of sexually abusing girls prior to entering the home.

Criminal charges were filed against two of the Dunhams’ biological children and one adopted son. The biological sons were convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The adopted son was found not guilty after a trial before a Stearns County judge, possibly because a sibling in Florida refused to come and testify.
Date: 2008-11-01
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adopted sibling, Non-adopted sibling, Undetermined
Home schooling: yes

Placement

Location

Holdingford, Minnesota
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Shelley Blair

A 12 year-old boy and a 13 year-old girl, the adopted children of Shelley Blair, were found wandering a busy road. The children were bruised and malnourished. Shelley Blair is now under investigation.

In 2003, Blair pleaded guilty to three counts of child abuse.
Date: 2008-10-23
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect
Abuser: Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes

Placement

Organizations: DCS Tennesee

Location

Spring Hill, Tennessee
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girl adopted by Chan Man-yum

11-month-old girl adopted by Chan Man-yum of Hong Kong, was held upside down and banged with her head to the floor.
Date: 2008-10-17
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Mong Kok
Hong Kong

Children in foster care with Mary Heath

An 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl in foster care with their aunt Mary Heath and her boyfriend Sekoa Aiono were being locked up half naked in separate bathrooms, where they received little food. The children were regularly beaten and sexually abused.
Date: 2008-10-14
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Non-lethal neglect, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Foster father, Foster mother

Location

Eagle Mountain, Utah
United States
See map: Google Maps

Chan Yin-tung (Fu Najuan)

13 month old girl from Jiangxi province died after being dropped repeatedly on her head by her adoptive mother, Candy Chan Man-yum. The mother lost her temper when Chan Yin-tung would not stop crying.
Date: 2008-10-13
Placement type: Adoption
Institution: a Jiangxi province orphanage
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Yau Ma Tei, Yau Tsim Mong Kowloon
Hong Kong

Adrian Hines

12-month-old boy died in foster care. His death was ruled a homicide.
Date: 2008-10-02
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Undetermined

Placement

Organizations: New York State Office of Children & Family Services, Tompkins County CFS

Location

Dryden, New York
United States
See map: Google Maps

Robert R. Whitman Jr. "Junior"

2-month old boy was found dead in his crib two days after being placed in foster care with a foster mother and father
Date: 2008-10-02
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Death by unknown cause
Abuser: Foster father, Undetermined

Placement

Organizations: Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare

Location

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girls adopted by John Henry Thomas and Carol Ann Thomas

John Henry Thomas  was accused of raping one of the older girls and physically abusing the others beginning in 2003. His wife, Carol Ann, was charged with failing to protect the children from her husband.

Court documents state that one of the six children reported she was punched in the stomach until she vomited. Others said they were beaten with a tree limb, a cast-iron frying pan and a table leg, documents state. In other instances, one child said she was forced to stand barefoot on a hot radiator, and another child was forced to drink the Thomases' urine, according to police, who said John Thomas also sexually abused a teenage daughter. The children also said they were forced to go without food and sit and watch others eat for days and forced to hit other children in the household, according to police. Some of the children had scars from the incidents, police said.

John Henry Thomas pleaded no contest to sexual assault and unlawful contact with minors - his adopted children. Carol Thomas pleaded no contest to charges she failed to protect the children from her husband.
Date: 2008-10-01
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Non-lethal neglect
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Location

West Manchester Township, Pennsylvania
United States
See map: Google Maps

Jasmine and Minnet Bowman



Three girls, 7, 9 (Jasmine) and 11 (Minnet) were adopted by Renee Bowman. The seven-year-old girl, was severely abused and neglected, had open sores and lesions on her buttocks and lower thighs, marks on her neck made by a cord, rope or other item and bruises on her hands and lips. She was found by authorities after having managed to break out of the house where she was locked up. Upon investigation of the abuse case, police found the remains of the two other girls in a basement freezer, where they had been for seven months.
Date: 2008-09-27
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Placement

Organizations: District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency

Location

Lusby, Maryland
United States
See map: Google Maps

Jessica Scovil



9-month-old girl placed in foster care with Wendy Osborne died from heat exhaustion after being left in the car for several hours.
Date: 2008-09-04
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal neglect
Abuser: Foster mother

Placement

Organizations: Georgia Division of Family and Children Services

Location

Nicholson, Georgia
United States
See map: Google Maps

Jazzmin Davis and her twin brother



15-year-old girl in foster care with her aunt Shemeeka Davis since infancy, died of malnutrition exacerbated by multiple blunt-force injuries and burns. Jazzmin weighing only 78 pounds, was laced with scars and wounds that stretched from her feet to her fingertips. She had multiple burns that appeared to be from a clothes iron on her chest and stomach, a tangle of scars on her neck that extended to her cheek and five broken teeth that "were probably struck by some type of hard object. She was in the care of her aunt together with her twin brother who was also severely abused.
Date: 2008-09-02
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Lethal physical abuse, Lethal deprivation
Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Antioch, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Christopher Allen

2-year-old boy placed in foster care with his aunt Nereida Allen. Christopher was beaten to death by his aunt and her boyfriend, Joshua Peacher.
Date: 2008-08-28
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Foster mother, Other non-family member

Location

Louisville, Kentucky
United States
See map: Google Maps

Hannah Rose WenRong Sieferman and Linnea Kai Sieferman



Two 11-year-old girls adopted from China were stabbed by their adoptive mother, Sylvia Sieferman. Hannah was adopted in March 1999 (2.5 yrs) in Nanning; Linnea in Sept 2003 (6 yrs). She was hospitalized 2 months prior to the event because of her fears she would hurt herself or the girls. Sylvia Sieferman, plea guilt to 2 counts of attempted murder.
Date: 2008-08-21
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Roseville, Minnesota
United States
See map: Google Maps

Katelynn Sampson



7 year old girl died of septic shock caused by the prolonged abuse she suffered from her guardians: Donna Irving and her boyfriend, Warren Johnson. Katelyn had 70 wounds on her body at her death, and blood was found throughout the apartment, including in closets, on books, and a plastic baseball bat. While she lay dying, Johnson went out to buy beer, twice.

Irving and Johnson were friends of Katelynn's mother. Since Bernice Sampson directly gave guardianship, no background checks were performed, though a judge had 3 hearings to grant permanent custody. Irving and Johnson were drug users, Irving had lost custody of her 2 children already.  Several reports of abuse had been filed.
Date: 2008-08-03
Placement type: Legal Guardianship
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse, Lethal neglect
Abuser: Legal guardian

Placement

Persons: Justice Debra Paulseth

Location

Toronto, Ontario
Canada
See map: Google Maps
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