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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.

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

Unpublished
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

Unpublished
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

Unpublished
 

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

Unpublished
  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

Unpublished
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
Fundamentalist faith: 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

Unpublished
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

Unpublished
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"

Unpublished
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
Home schooling: yes

Homestudy

Organizations: Board of Child Care

Placement

Organizations: District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency

Location

Lusby, Maryland
United States
See map: Google Maps

Jessica Scovil

Unpublished


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

Unpublished


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

Unpublished
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). Sylvia was hospitalized 2 months prior to the event because of her fears she would hurt herself or the girls. After the attempted murder suicide, Sylvia Sieferman, pleaded 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

Unpublished


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

Girl adopted by Maria Quintanilla Cuadra

11-year-old girl was found, her body covered with welts and bruises and she appeared malnourished. Maria Quintanilla Cuadra and her boyfriend, Jose Esteban Guevara were charged. They had subjected the girl to malnourishment and repeated, daily beatings. The girl also was forced to hold heavy objects over her head for extended periods, and Guevara forced her to eat jalapeños without water, police said.

Cuadra, the girl's aunt, adopted the child after both of her parents died.

Date: 2008-07-26
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother, Other non-family member

Location

Salinas, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Clare Robertson

At the time 10-year-old girl was sexually abused by her adoptive father, Peter Robertson. Thirty years later she pressed charges. Peter Robertson admitted the abuse and was given a two-year conditional discharge.
Date: 2008-07-21
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Lancaster, Lancashire
United Kingdom

Girl adopted by Lynwood Elmer Vinum



5-year-old girl informally adopted by 72 year old man from the USA, living in Thailand. Mother had consented to the arrangement because Vinum was to pay for the girl's education and she was to be allowed contact. The girl had been in his care for 2 months during which he sexually abused her. Mr. Vinum had lived in Thailand for 20 years.
Date: 2008-07-18
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Moo Baan Rungland
Thailand

Kevin Johnson



12-year-old boy died while in the care of Barbara and Fred D. Johnson II, daughter and son-in-law of a couple who had adopted Kevin and in 2000 but passed away a few years later. A weighted helmet, long wooden paddle and severe beatings were used to discipline the boy. Illinois DCF began an abuse investigation in April, 4 months before Kevin was beaten to death.
Date: 2008-07-18
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Other family member

Location

Crete, Illinois
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy adopted by Ruben and Jacqueline Lerma

13 year old boy was beaten with a belt by his adoptive mother Jacqueline Anne Lerma. She was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Date: 2008-07-11
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Victorville, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Earnest and Windie Perry

Earnest and Windie Perry, adopted six children in total. Five of them were removed from the house after the couple was charged with eight count of aggravated child abuse. Their eldest, Elizabeth Perry, together with her adoptive mother Windie, was also charged with two counts of rape of a child and two counts of aggravated rape.

Earnest was acquitted. Windie and Elizabeth were convicted of  facilitation of rape of a child, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and more involving 2 of the girls.
Date: 2008-07-10
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother, Adopted sibling
Home schooling: yes
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Location

Clarksville, Tennessee
United States
See map: Google Maps

Chase Harrison (Dmitry Yakovlev)



21 month old boy from Pechory, Pskov, Russia, adopted by Miles and Carol Harrison. His adoptive father left him in the car for hours while being at work, causing Chase to die of the heat. He'd been adopted only three months before.

Miles Harrison was acquitted on involuntary manslaughter charges.
Date: 2008-07-08
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal neglect
Abuser: Adoptive father

Homestudy

Organizations: Adoption Home Studies and Placement Services Inc. dba Adoption Connections (Falls Church, VA)
Persons: Christine Hessinger

Placement

Location

Herndon, Virginia
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girl adopted by Kenneth Lee Ashcraft

Despite having a string of child abuse complaints on file since the early 1980's, Kenneth Lee Ashcraft had been allowed to adopt a girl, whom he later on abused.
Date: 2008-07-08
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

New Miami, Ohio
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy in foster care with Sharmon Evans

Unpublished
11-year-old boy was allegedly punched and slapped regularly, forced to wear a diaper, ingest his own feces, sleep on the floor and refused food.
Date: 2008-06-23
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Troy, New York
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girl adopted by Hyacinth Morgan

12 year old girl, adopted from Colombia by Hyacinth Morgan, was stripped and tied to a bed with rope for several days. She was beaten with multiple objects, inflicting injuries that covered her entire body. She was locked in a room without food. Eventually she broke out of the house, flagged a motorist who took her to a near by McDonald's restaurant.
Date: 2008-06-20
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Silver Spring, Maryland
United States
See map: Google Maps

Girls adopted by Juan Rodenas and his wife.

Two girls under fourteen were sexually abused by their adoptive father who filmed the assault. The Rodenas had seven children, two of whom were adopted. Mr. Rodenas computer also included photos of abuse of a 7-year-old girl believed to be a relative in Guatemala.
Date: 2008-06-17
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse, Sexual exploitation
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Juan and Myra Rodriguez

Three children adopted a year before, had allegedly been abused and tortured by their adopters.
Date: 2008-06-08
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother

Location

LaRue County, Kentucky
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by couple in Haute-Loire, France

A 4 year-old boy was brought to the hospital at Haute-Loire (France) by his adoptive parents for an injury resulting from falling; but the doctors realized quickly that the injuries were not consistent with a fall. The younger brother of the victim, 18 months-old, was also hospitalized since few days for an injury to his leg. The boys were adopted since May 1, 2008. After having denied any violence, the father admitted that sometime he strikes the children to correct them but he minimizes the brutality of his behaviour saying that it was his way of educating his adoptive son who only speaks an Ehtiopian dialect. The father is imprisoned for aggravated rape, sexual assault and violence on children. The man is known to be impulsive and violent with his wife. His wife is under investigation for "non-denunciation of ill-treatment".

Date: 2008-06-06
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Placement

Organizations: Tukul (based in Addis)

Location

Yssingeaux, Haute-Loire - Auvergne
France

Girl adopted by couple in Calgary, Canada

A girl adopted by a Calgary couple was sexually abused by her adoptive father. The abuse started when the girl was 14 years old. The abuse lasted for more than two years, during which she became pregnant three times.
Date: 2008-06-01
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Calgary, Alberta
Canada
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Shirley Allen

Three teen-age children adopted from the foster care system were refused food, beaten and made to stand on a milk crate for hours by their adoptive mother. Shirley Allen received, in addition to her $600/mo. disability income, $1,500 per month in compensation for each of the three fostered/adopted children
Date: 2008-05-28
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation, Economic exploitation
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Loganville, Georgia
United States
See map: Google Maps

Faith Raeanne Robinson

 

4-year-old girl adopted by Joseph and Jessilyn Robinson died of head injury consistent with being shaken violently. Faith and her bio half brother Jacob were apparently adopted together (domestic) while the family lived in Rhode Island.

Jessilyn Robinson was released from prison Jan. 30, 2015.
Date: 2008-05-28
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Location

Winchester, Kentucky
United States
See map: Google Maps

Enna Isabel Barreto

 

2 year old adopted daughter of Ramon Barreto and Janet Lee Killough Barreto, one of seven children adopted from Guatemala by the couple, died of blunt force trauma. Ramone and Janet Barreto were initially charged with two counts of child neglect. 17-year-old Marainna Torres, Janet's daughter, pleaded guilty to manslaughter. USCIS approved their adoption applications for a total of seven children in 2005 and 2006.

Pending charges against the parents include culpable negligence in the death of Enna, as well as allegations brought by the Marainna that: - Luisa Fernanda Barreto and Juan Fernando Barreto were tied in a baby crib for long periods. and - Adriana Killough, also known as Adriana Santana Lemar, was caged in a closet for prolonged periods and forced to eat, sleep, urinate and defecate in the cage. (Adriana was the first adopted child and apparently the adoption was later disrupted).
Date: 2008-05-19
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse, Lethal neglect
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother, Non-adopted sibling
Disabilities: yes

Homestudy

Location

New Albany, Mississippi
United States
See map: Google Maps

Taylor Webster

Unpublished


6-year-old girl in foster care with Joanne Alvarez, died of a the application of a adult pain-relieving patch. Alvarez was under investigation for excessive spanking Taylor.
Date: 2008-05-18
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Lethal neglect
Abuser: Foster mother

Location

New York
United States
See map: Google Maps

Boy adopted in Katz family

12-year-old boy was sexually abused for 6 years by Jaime Katz, a family member of the people that adopted the boy.
Date: 2008-05-16
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Other family member

Location

New York, New York
United States
See map: Google Maps

Children adopted by Brian Kloosterman and Stephanie Schreiner



Four children adopted from Guatemala, allegedly abused by their stay at home adoptive father who is the primary caregiver to five children, ages 5 months through 3 1/2 years. Brian was arrested on suspicion of child abuse. The family was also investigated in Aug. 2007 when their newly adopted 9 month baby girl was rushed to the hospital for a head injury just three weeks after being adopted from Guatemala. She had a 106.8-degree temperature and a urinary-tract infection. No charges have been filed in that case.
First two adoptions (Christopher and Benjamin) completed early 2006, 3rd adoption (girl) July 2007, 4th adoption (boy) completed in April 2008. Bio child born Dec 2007. (Their first bio child died 5 days after birth, prior to any adoptions.)
Date: 2008-05-09
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Placement

Persons: Sue Hedberg

Location

Orlando, Florida
United States
See map: Google Maps

Lavender Banks



3-year-old girl from China adopted by Sabrina A. Banks aka Sabrina A. Stafford, died from asphyxia and several blunt force injuries.

On August 5, 2009 Sabrina Banks was arrested and charged with murder. While still going by the name Sabrina Stafford, she was the foster mother of Angelic Rose Clary, who died of neglect while in her care.
Date: 2008-05-02
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Elk Grove, California
United States
See map: Google Maps

3 girls adopted by Charles Sparks

Three girls adopted by Charles Sparks and his wife, were sexually abused by their adoptive father. Sparks was a former custodian at Parkview Middle School in Clark County.

In 2001, Child Protection Services investigated Sparks for sexual abuse, but against CPS's recommendations and warnings, a judge allowed Sparks to keep the girls.

The adoptive mother knew what happened and didn't do anything about it.
Date: 2008-04-28
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Jeffersonville, Indiana
United States
See map: Google Maps

Dylan Hohepa Tonga Rimoni

Unpublished

3 year old Dylan was abused repeatedly and was removed from life support 2 days after being hospitalized for a bleeding brain. The autopsy showed extensive brain damage from prior injuries. His foster mother Patricia Pickering was found guilty of murder. This was a private family arranged foster care situation.
Date: 2008-04-18
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Foster mother

Location

Drury, Auckland
New Zealand

Six children adopted in Lapeer County Michigan

Six adopted children from Russia were allegedly physically and mentally abuse. The investigation began when two 19-year-old women claimed their adoptive parents from Burnside Twp, Lapeer County abused them and their four adopted siblings.

Department of Human Services concluded the parents used excessive discipline involving a belt, whip and hammer. Prosecutors did not feel there was enough to charge crimes.

This family is alleged to belong to the Truth Fellowship group.

No further information about this case was made available to the public.
Date: 2008-03-31
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Fundamentalist faith: yes

Location

Burnside Township, Lapeer County, Michigan
United States
See map: Google Maps

Ethan, Seth, Mira, Eleanor Sueppel

  

Steven Sueppel, indicted for embezzling from the bank that he worked for, killed himself, his wife Sheryl, and their four adopted Korean children, Ethan (10), Seth (7), Mira (5), and Eleanor (3),in Iowa City, Iowa. Seth was on the autism spectrum and Eleanor had Polycystic Kidney Disease. Mrs Sueppel and the children were beaten to death with a baseball bat then Steven died in a deliberate car wreck.

Date: 2008-03-23
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive father

Location

Iowa City, Iowa
United States
See map: Google Maps

Nicolai Emelyantsev


14-month-old Nikolai, who was adopted in February 08 from Moscow City, Russia by Fyodor and Kimberly Emelyantsev— died March 7 at Primary Children's Medical Center. An autopsy determined the child had died from a skull fracture that doctors said was the result of blunt-force trauma, police and court records show. The infant also had a bruised face, head, knee and anus. Nikolai, his adopted brother Luka (also from Russia), and one of the Emelyantsev's bio children had Down's Syndrome.
Date: 2008-03-07
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal physical abuse
Abuser: Adoptive mother
Disabilities: yes

Placement

Location

tooele, Utah
United States
See map: Google Maps

Calista Springer

Unpublished


16-year-old girl adopted by Anthony and Marsha Springer was systematically abused by her adoptive parents. She dies, while chained to her bed when the family home caught fire. Calista was taken out of school to prevent abuse investigations.

Anthony Springer received 10 to 15 years for first-degree child abuse and 25 to 50 years for torture.

Marsha Springer was given 95 months (roughly eight years) to 15 years for first-degree child abuse and 225 months (roughly 19 years) to 50 years for torture.

Note: This is a step parent adoption, hence it is unpublished, including all associated articles
Date: 2008-02-27
Placement type: Adoption
Type of abuse: Lethal neglect, Lethal deprivation
Abuser: Adoptive father, Adoptive mother
Home schooling: yes

Location

Centreville, Michigan
United States
See map: Google Maps
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