One very brave little girl saved her siblings and herself from a horrible life of abuse when she emailed her online school teacher to report that her stepfather, mother, and grandmother were beating and chaining them to beds. The Cincinnati teacher, whose name is not being released because she may serve as an important witness in this case, immediately called police, who arrested the three suspects.
The girl's 44-year-old stepfather has also been charged with raping his 9- and 11-year-old stepdaughters, as well as abusing his 8-year-old stepson. According to the children, they were chained and roped to their beds by the people who they were supposed to trust most in the world -- sometimes for weeks at a time -- and were only released so they could complete schoolwork assignments.
The marks and scars on their bodies matched up with their accusation that their caretakers forced them to remove their clothes so they could beat them with paddles and belts. They also claim they weren't fed when they were hungry, though authorities say they weren't malnourished.
The children have been placed in a foster home with a loving family, according to reports. Their stepfather, who is the biological father of a 2-year-old living in the home who has reportedly NOT been abused, has denied these allegations. Police say one of the adults admitted tying up the children as punishment for "stealing food" from their home.
Eating food in your own home because you're hungry is cause for such extreme punishment? There is clearly nothing -- not a single word -- any of these three suspects could say to make it okay to tie up your children and beat them. Thank goodness there was someone in this child's life whom she felt she could trust. With hope, they will be able to experience what it's like to live with people who value them and treat them with the respect they deserve.
What are your thoughts on this report of child abuse?
Image via dno1967b/Flickr