We will hear more and more about the Irish Travelers as this goes on, because so much of the Toogood story is wrapped around that culture.
No matter what you read about the Irish Travelers, you'll find someone else who vehemently disagrees.
Most sources say that, while they have existed in Ireland for hundreds of years, they are ethnically distinct from the Irish.
Most in the US live in Texas or South Carolina. They are not truly nomadic. They live in closely-knit communities durng the winter and travel from Spring through Fall. Irish Travelers say the travel is part of their culture; many law enforcement officers say it is a necessary part of their culture only because the male Travelers are often involved in construction scams and must leave an area after making a few scores. Law enforcement officers ("LEO") says they prey on the elderly and others, either after a storm, or by showing up at your house with a story like "I just finished a roofing job and have supplies left over in the truck. If you buy now, right now, in cash, you'll get a good deal." They will even take the elderly to the bank to get the cash. LEO says the work is done, if at all, in a fraudulent manner. Spraying oil to make it look like asphalt has been applied, using watered-down paint, etc.
Travelers will tell you that a small percentage of them are scam artists and that scam artists exist in all cultures. LEO says most are scam artists. Who's right?
Travelers have a second language they speak among themselves. They say it's for ethnic purposes, and part of their culture. LEO says it helps them perpetuate frauds by being able to communicate without others understanding.
LEO says female Travelers work scams such as returning stolen merchandise for cash. Travlers say that's bunk.
LEO says they often own and drive expensive new cars, obtained with falsified credit, then go to another state where it's hard to repossess the car if no payments are made. Travelers say that's bunk.
There is clearly a great deal of intermarriage. Travelers say they stick together because of 100s of years of discrimination. In Murphy Village, with 3,000 people, there are only a dozen or so surnames. LEO also says they use false IDs and names; Travelers say that's bunk.
Many sources say that girls are "engaged" at 5-8 to some older cousin, with the marriage occuring at puberty. Although Travelers say "bunk," there is some evidence that South Carolina raised its minimum age for marriage because of the Travelers and the TV documentary about early marriages.
In Murphy Village, there are large, expensive houses, and expensive, new cars. The Travelers say they pay cash and live frugally, so they can afford that with the money they make as roofers, and pavers, and the like. LEO says the money comes from scams. Traveler children are usually pulled out of school around the 8th grade. LEO says they are then taught to scam, and that young children are used in scams.
I could go on, but there is clearly a big difference between what some say and believe about the Travelers and what their supporters say.
In this case, a young woman whose husband is a nomadic roofer owns several new expensive cars. A crime? No, but certainly along the Traveler stereotype. The car had out-of-state tags. A crime? No, but again along the stereotype.
Ms. Toogood is alleged to have been trying to scam the store. Was she? Don't know, but I doubt she announced to the store she was a Traveler when she entered, so they didn't make that up because of the stereotype if it was reported to police before she reported she was a Traveler.
There's speculation -- which could be wrong -- that she was angry in general because a scam didn't work, or because the girl messed up the scam.
Why drive 1000+ miles to have the girl examined? Sounds strange. Perhaps there is an explanation that doesn't make you go "hmmmm," or perhaps this physician is a Traveler as well.
I think the authorities are afraid that she and her daughter can disappear into the Traveler subculture, as many Travelers are alleged to have done in the past when jumping bail. I think the pressure may also be on her to plead guilty and get this over with quickly to take the spotlight off a group that is either discriminated against, a bunch of crooks, or both.
Does the government go after some groups because they are different? Certainly. In this case, however, it may be that LEO is right about the Travelers, and their culture doesn't view scamming outsiders (called "country folk") as unethical. Or the Travelers could be the most misunderstood, disciminated-against group in the US?