Foster Mother Arrested For Using Duct Tape On Kids

WTAE-TV ^ | April 17, 2003

[Gamecock]

Foster Mother Arrested For Using Duct Tape On Kids Three Children Have Been Placed With Other Families

POSTED: 11:58 a.m. EDT April 17, 2003 UPDATED: 2:04 p.m. EDT April 17, 2003 LEVITTOWN, Pa. -- A Levittown, Pa., woman, honored last year for her work as a foster mother by a local organization, is now under arrest for allegedly wrapping up her foster children with duct tape. Middletown Township police said Colleen Broe, 34, was charged Wednesday with felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and false imprisonment for restraining the children by using duct tape.

Her husband, Neil Broe, 41, was also charged with endangering the welfare of children by documenting his wife's activity for months without reporting it to authorities, police said.

Police said that digital photos of the children they obtained showed the children with their ankles, wrists, torsos and other areas taped, and some pictures depicted the children so severely taped up that they look "mummified."

Police also said that a search of the couple's home Wednesday morning at 82 Cobalt Ridge Drive East revealed pieces of children's clothing and evidence of duct tape that matched the manner in which they were depicted in the photographs.

A 2-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl were allegedly taped up over the course of several months by Colleen Broe in order to keep them from taking their diapers off and crawling out of their cribs, police said.

Police said Broe's husband, Neil, took more than 30 pictures in order to document the abuse, after the couple started having marital difficulties.

Investigators said Neil Broe passed some of those photographs on to an acquaintance who then gave them to police.

Police said the couple's biological son, 5, told detectives he had been taped, as well.

A Feb. 15, 2002 article in the Bucks County Courier-Times reported that the Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency based in Doylestown, Pa., had honored the couple for its efforts as foster parents.

The article quoted Roxanne Watkins-Hall, a placement resources supervisor for the agency, saying that, "The Broes were spotlighted because we wanted to recognize a couple who is fairly new to the program, and they've also proven to be very good foster parents." All children have been removed from the home for their safety, police said, and the girl still had small pieces of duct tape stuck to her ribs and back area when she was taken away.

All three children have been placed with other families, police said.

Colleen and Neil Broe were arraigned Wednesday before District Justice John Kelly and remanded to Bucks County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail each.

[Gamecock]

Did a search, couldn't find it elsewhere

Hold my beer....

[Ozarkie]

"Hold my beer...."


I have to disagree on that. If this is anything, it's a "Get my gun" alert.

[Lady USA]

This brings new meaning to the term, "No home is truly secure without duct tape."

:)

kidding of course

[TheSpottedOwl]

I know I shouldn't make a joke out of this, but I went back to college last year. In my human development class there was a question on my homework assignment regarding things you need to successfully complete reading assignments. My immediate thought was duct tape and the hall closet. Oooops...

[zook]

I often joke with my daughter when she's acting wild, "I'd like to get my hands on the guy who made it against the law to duct-tape your kids to a chair!"

[katnip]

I often joke with my daughter when she's acting wild, "I'd like to get my hands on the guy who made it against the law to duct-tape your kids to a chair!"

When I was little my mother would tie us to chairs in front of the t.v. so she could get stuff done.

We had fun walking around with the chairs stuck to our butts and I don't think it ever did us any harm.

[WVNan]

You mean you're not supposed to duck tape the kids to a chair? Well, bless patty I thought that was part of child-rearing.

[Senator Goldwater]

The boy and girl were toddlers. This story is disgusting.

Hopefully this woman will learn about the joys of restraint in the can.

[Black Agnes]

Got that picture of Duck Taped?

[CheneyChick]

This is really sad - Drudge had this picture up:

[Black Agnes]

They probably wanted to take off their diapers because they needed to be CHANGED. Ugh. Poor kids. My mom just put us in a playpen with some toys when she wanted to get stuff done when we were 1-2. little older & we got gated in our rooms with the kiddie gates. Duct tape? On *babies*? Augh.

[Ches]

Red Green would approve of darn near any use of duct tape, except this one.

[Hodar]

1,002 Uses!

[Senator Pardek]

A 2-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl were allegedly taped up over the course of several months by Colleen Broe in order to keep them from taking their diapers off...

Not only is the removal of duct tape painful, but the contact of human waste against skin for long periods of time does damage - ask any vet.

Is there any reason I should reject my Atheism after seeing that picture?

[Consort]

...Even if she has a Duct Tape Merit Badge, she has to be punished.

[Lady Eileen]

Most Americans don't realize that the only thing exceptional about this case is that the abusive "foster care" parent was caught. This kind of cruel behavior is literally common in foster care. It is one of those situations in which the evil is so vile that those not involved just can't believe it.

[Gamecock]

I thought "hold my beer" was a reponse to the stupidity of others. You are right, get muh gun would be more fitting...

[conservativefromGa]

why is it foster parents always seem to hate kids?

[metalboy]

Billy stop running around!! DAMMIT!! Now where was I...Let's see what`s on freerepublic...BILLY dammit go to bed stop running around!!!...lets see this article...BILLY STOP RUNNING AROUND!!!!!!..Wait what`s this ..Foster mother duct tapes kids..Foster duct....................OH BILLY!!!

[Lady Eileen]

Thanks for posting the picture from Drudge. Too bad the poor child's face is covered up so we don't see the human face of the horror. It's just like CNN covering up the atrocities in Iraq.