HURON COUNTY, Ohio -- A sheriff's investigator gives testimony of the accounts given by Michael and Sharon Gravelle's adopted children about how they were punished.
The custody fight over the special-needs children who were kept in cages continued Wednesday in Huron County.
Gravelle Custody Hearing
Witnesses gave revealing testimony about the discipline the children allegedly underwent in the home of Michael and Sharon Gravelle, reported NewsChannel5.
The Gravelles' 11 adopted children were taken from their home after allegations surfaced that they allegedly made some of the children sleep in wooden enclosures.
Testimony by a sheriff's investigator revealed that some of the punishments the children were forced to undergo included being spanked with a wooden board, being forced to live in the bathroom for months at a time, being held under water, and copying out books of the Bible by hand.
Lt. Randy Sommers said the information was learned through interviews conducted with the children after their removal from the Gravelle home.
Fearing harsh punishment,, Sommers said the children often chose to soil themselves rather than risk triggering alarms on their unlocked enclosures.
However, during cross-examination Sommers said that there was no evidence of the infliction of these punishments at the time of the children's removal.
He also didn't consult the children's therapist, even though she approved of the enclosures and other controversial treatments that may be percieved as abuse.
Sommers also said that there was some inconsistency in the search warrant used to go into the home.
A written statement by the children's therapist also said that children with their kind of special needs can be prone to lies and exaggerations.
The Gravelles maintain that the enclosures were used to protect the children. No criminal charges have been filed against the couple.
Previous Stories:
December 6, 2005: Social Worker Describes Kids' Cages As Kennel
December 1, 2005: Taft Recommends Adoption Reform In Wake Of Caged Kids Case
November 23, 2005: Prosecutors: One Of Caged Kids Slept In Bathroom For Months
November 15, 2005: Judge: 'Caged' Kids Won't Immediately Be Returned To Couple
October 27, 2005: Couple Accused Of Caging Kids Speaks Out
October 11, 2005: Attorney Releases Additional Photos Of Caged Kids
September 21, 2005: State Launching Review In Case Of Caged Kids
September 13, 2005: Parents Say They Locked Kids In Cages To Protect Them ...
Click the link to see pictures too
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/5484728/detail.html?subid=22100405&qs=1;bp=t
When I first heard about this story on the news, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, those children were kept in a cage that looks almost like a dog cage but a little bit bigger, they even show the cages where the children were kept in and pictures of house and the bathroom where a child was kept in there for months, My goodness, I can't image what those children were going through everyday and not knowing what they've done to deserves this type of punishment , it just breaks my heart...I've never seen anything like this in my entire life.....Let's discuss this topic here, what do you think or feel about this....
The custody fight over the special-needs children who were kept in cages continued Wednesday in Huron County.
Gravelle Custody Hearing
Witnesses gave revealing testimony about the discipline the children allegedly underwent in the home of Michael and Sharon Gravelle, reported NewsChannel5.
The Gravelles' 11 adopted children were taken from their home after allegations surfaced that they allegedly made some of the children sleep in wooden enclosures.
Testimony by a sheriff's investigator revealed that some of the punishments the children were forced to undergo included being spanked with a wooden board, being forced to live in the bathroom for months at a time, being held under water, and copying out books of the Bible by hand.
Lt. Randy Sommers said the information was learned through interviews conducted with the children after their removal from the Gravelle home.
Fearing harsh punishment,, Sommers said the children often chose to soil themselves rather than risk triggering alarms on their unlocked enclosures.
However, during cross-examination Sommers said that there was no evidence of the infliction of these punishments at the time of the children's removal.
He also didn't consult the children's therapist, even though she approved of the enclosures and other controversial treatments that may be percieved as abuse.
Sommers also said that there was some inconsistency in the search warrant used to go into the home.
A written statement by the children's therapist also said that children with their kind of special needs can be prone to lies and exaggerations.
The Gravelles maintain that the enclosures were used to protect the children. No criminal charges have been filed against the couple.
Previous Stories:
December 6, 2005: Social Worker Describes Kids' Cages As Kennel
December 1, 2005: Taft Recommends Adoption Reform In Wake Of Caged Kids Case
November 23, 2005: Prosecutors: One Of Caged Kids Slept In Bathroom For Months
November 15, 2005: Judge: 'Caged' Kids Won't Immediately Be Returned To Couple
October 27, 2005: Couple Accused Of Caging Kids Speaks Out
October 11, 2005: Attorney Releases Additional Photos Of Caged Kids
September 21, 2005: State Launching Review In Case Of Caged Kids
September 13, 2005: Parents Say They Locked Kids In Cages To Protect Them ...
Click the link to see pictures too
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/5484728/detail.html?subid=22100405&qs=1;bp=t
When I first heard about this story on the news, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, those children were kept in a cage that looks almost like a dog cage but a little bit bigger, they even show the cages where the children were kept in and pictures of house and the bathroom where a child was kept in there for months, My goodness, I can't image what those children were going through everyday and not knowing what they've done to deserves this type of punishment , it just breaks my heart...I've never seen anything like this in my entire life.....Let's discuss this topic here, what do you think or feel about this....
Darn those "parents", they're creatures from hell who shouldn't have kids in their home. Those children will be affected by the abuses forever. Once the "parents" inflicted abuse on the children, the children themselves will grow up to be like them, however, only in a rare cases, a few kids are lucky to get out and not becoming like their "parents." Sadly, blame the foster/adoption systems who put the children in the unsafe havens. They never check the background history of each would-be parents who wanna foster or adopt the children. Until then, it's too late. Sad. I feel paining right now for those children. These children deserve better parents.
What I don't understand that the adopted parents said they are only build the cage for the children to make them feel safe and secure. Safe and secure from what?