INSIDE HELL HOUSE (STARVED TEENS)

New York Post ^ | 11/04/03 | DON MURRAY and KATE SHEEHY

[kattracks]

Shockingly disturbing photos of a ripped-up wall in the dingy attic where four emaciated New Jersey boys lived may provide the best evidence yet that they were victims of horrible abuse.

Plaster has been torn away from one wall, revealing the wooden boards and insulation behind it in the grungy room on the second floor of the Jackson family's home in suburban Collingswood. Authorities say the starved boys told them they ate such building materials - even chewing on a windowsill in the house - to get more "nutrients" because they were being fed only pancake batter, peanut butter and cereal by their adoptive parents.

[aardvark1]

You're right...I didn't have all the background. First saw it yesterday along with a statement from the pastor of their church. On the surface it does appear these 'parents' were simply using the system to collect checks from the state in lieu of working.

[jerseygirl]

I agree with you. If they boys simply had Fetal Alcohol syndrome, anoreixa, whatever, that still doesn't explain why Bruce's teeth were blackened from decay and he had not seen a physician in 5 years.

[subterfuge]

"Those samples could then be compared with the contents of Bruce's stomach when he was found Oct. 10, possibly proving a theory by state officials that he had been munching on building material because he was so hungry. "

Well what does the kid say? Isn't the word of the abused worth anything? Pagin mhking--------just damn!

[jerseygirl]

The parents are saying that Bruce has a history of lying. One report I read said that at first, the boys said they had plenty to eat, and one of them reeled off a long list of what he had had for breakfast. Only later did the boys report what they were actually fed. I think that the parents also had convinced the boys that if they ate, they would vomit.
Unfortunately, abused children are often very loyal to their abusers.

[GovernmentShrinker]

On the surface it does appear these 'parents' were simply using the system to collect checks from the state in lieu of working.

And, true to form, the "child welfare workers" were simply using the system to collect checks from the state in lieu of working. Hey, why bother actually going to check on kids, when you can just fill out a form that says you did and says they're fine, and still keep picking up your paycheck, 'cause your boss never asks any hard questions, and never sends a different worker to check up on the reporst of the first one?

I saw another thread today where the "parents" have got a lawyer now, and the pastor has decided to shut up and stay out of it. Couldn't tell if the lawyer read the pastor the riot act, or if the pastor is finally catching on that these "parents" are pure evil.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Not to mention that children who have been abused/starved so badly that they weigh 45 pounds at age 19, are certainly going to have some serious brain development problems, so that they can't think through their relationship with their abusers, or express themselves clearly to outsiders.

[jerseygirl]

Yes, I have been concerned that the lack of nutrition has to have affected these boys' intellectual development (to say about their psychological/physical health). IMH0, the parents were using the kids for a source of income. It might be interesting to see if there was any relationship between Dad's decreasing income and the timing of the various adoptions.

[Palladin]

What I don't get is why the big fat sisters (the couple's natural children) did not sneak the boys some cookies now and then or share their five extra bags of potato chips.

It's unusual to find teenage girls without a shred of idealism or compassion.

What kind of a church sponsors such cruel people?

I think the church should be investigated, too. Was the minister getting his tithe--10% of the $28,000 in adoption allowances from the state?? A kickback for recommending the family as a good adoptive home?

[justshutupandtakeit]

Nothing wrong with being skeptical about what is in the papers but, unfortunately I smell a typical RAT scam of the state here. Just too many incidents of such behavior has been documented for me to believe this is not largely true.

I will defer the boiling oil until more information is available.

"Reverends" leaping instanteously to their defense is more suspicious than the facts of a newspaper to me. What kind of real church would get involved in the defense of its parisioners like this?

[jerseygirl]

I had the same thought- why did the girls go along with this? (Not only the natural children, but the foster daughter). All I can figure is that the parents must have brainwashed the girls that feeding the boys would be damaging to the latter. These parents and their supporters keep saying the boys had a variety of eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia,pica) as well as fetal alcohol, etc. If they could back that up with numerous visits for medical care for the boys, I'd be less suspicious. Medical care for the boys would have probably been part of the adoption package.)