Posted on 05/01/2003 9:22:37 AM PDT by mabelkitty
Three Kenmore boys told authorities their mother locked them in a closet since Valentine's Day until they escaped this week through a second- floor window.
Allegations of the boys' abuse were detailed Wednesday in documents for a Summit County Juvenile Court hearing to determine if the boys and their three siblings should remain in the county's custody.
According to the complaint:
``Their mother and her partner... created a substantial risk of serious harm to their health, safety and well being by treating them like prisoners, locking them in a closet for over three months, with little food, no light and no exercise, torturing them by making them eat cat and dog feces and vomit, which caused the children to be severely ill, as well as physically abusing them.''
The complaint presented to Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio by the county Children Services Board alleges that the six children, ages 6 to 14, all appeared to be malnourished.
One child, who is 8, weighed only 28 pounds, according to the complaint, and was admitted to Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron. Another sibling also was hospitalized, said CSB spokeswoman Louise Miller. She expected both children could be released as early as today.
The agency has received numerous abuse allegations about all of the children for several years, but never opened a case, Miller said. The last time CSB visited the Florida Avenue home was in February.
``There have been a number of calls,'' Miller said. ``Over the course of their lives there were calls.''
The children were living with their biological mother, Mary Rowles, and her partner of seven years, Alice Jenkins. Akron police are investigating the allegations. However, no charges had been filed as of late Wednesday. The women couldn't be reached for comment.
Authorities based the complaint on interviews with the children.
Police received reports Monday that three boys from the home were wandering in the streets, wearing sweat pants and T-shirts but no shoes or socks.
The oldest boy told authorities he had gotten rags from a garbage can and wrapped them on his feet because they were sore from walking without shoes.
The boys said they ran away from home because their mother and her partner had locked them in a closet for months, letting them out each day for dinner only.
They said the women blocked the closet door with a dresser when the boys were inside. The closet was always dark inside, was hot and smelled of urine and feces.
When police arrived at the home to remove the other children, they found the 6-year-old boy locked in a bedroom that smelled of urine and feces.
The children also told authorities they suffered beatings, according to the complaint.
Two of the boys reported that their mother's partner forced some of the children to hold the 10-year-old boy down while she kicked him in the groin with steel-toed boots after she accused him of urinating in the closet.
In November, CSB received a report concerning the welfare of the children, but nobody visited the home until February.
Three of the boys have been placed in a foster home and the two boys in the hospital will join them. The girl is in a separate foster home.
The next court hearing is May 23. At that time the court will determine whether the children have been abused or neglected. It's unclear whether the social worker who visited the home believed an investigation should be opened. The agency requires workers and their supervisors to make that decision together.
Miller said the agency should have acted before this week.
``There are things that should have happened that didn't happen,'' Miller said. ``Now that we know what is currently going on, we'll be able to keep the kids safe. We should have been able to pick up on things sooner.''
Many complaints, but the case was never opened.
Why would Socialist Guv'mint workers allow this.
Does this answer your question?
The children were living with their biological mother, Mary Rowles, and her partner of seven years, Alice Jenkins...
Jesse Dirkhising
Good Lord .. 28 pounds
Give me 5 minutes with these POS and I'll kick the daylights out of them
I will never understand how some people can be so evil
OMG. That poor child. She should weigh two or three times that.
Washer? On spin dry?
Like the agency and the workers have done anything thus far......
This makes my blood boil..... GGGGGGRrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
One thing I have learned about life in general and about sick people in particular:
"Hate yourself enough, and you'll have plenty of hate to disburse to others, especially those much weaker than you."
Prison time and floggings are in order.
And God forbid what would have happened if you swatted them when instilling those morals and values.
Yeah, I thought it might've been a refrigerator or something.
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