How to curb these kind of child tortures? Are these people humans?
By findcutegj
@findcutegj (1466)
India
December 3, 2006 7:33am CST
I was browsing internet, when i came across to this horrible act but last year a couple residing in Florida named John and Linda Dollar. As i really hate child tortures, this really came up as a worst nightmare story which was actually a truth!! Five children who say they were abused by their adoptive parents told investigators they were denied food for up to three days and hung by chains in their home, according to court documents.
The story goes like this:
The Dollars had custody of seven children--perhaps being foster parents first, then becoming adoptive parents. (It's not entirely clear.) All the kids were home-schooled. On January 21st, through a 911 call, one of the kids wound up in the hospital with a laceration on his head and red marks on his neck. The Dollars were to appear in court on Monday, but never showed. The fugitives were apprehended on Friday next month.
Apparently two of the children were considered "the favorites." They were not abused. But the other five were not so fortunate. Here is some of what they experienced:
- having their toenails pulled out with pliers;
- given electric shocks (with either a stun gun or a cattle prodder);
- being tied down and bound with plastic handcuffs;
- being chained to spots in their house with chains;
- forced to sleep in a locked walk-in closet;
- beaten in the feet and legs with hammers;
- extreme malnourishment.
The five kids were all between ages 12 and 16. Two of them are twin boys, two of them are girls, and there is another boy.
The 16-year-old boy weighs only 59 pounds. The two 14-year-old boys each weighed less than 40 pounds. (For comparison, the average 4-year-old weighs 36-38 pounds.) Authorities describe the children as looking like Auschwitz victims.
If it is permissible to pray imprecatory psalms today--and I believe that it is--then I believe it is appropriate to pray for God's righteous judgment to be administered to this unspeakably cruel man and woman.
I do not know what happened to them afterwards. If anyone has an update, please let me know.
Now, i want to hear your people comments and judgement. What would you say about this case and what should be your verdict if you were the judge in this case. And what do you think about child torture cases. Should goverment take it more seriously? Can any child be at fault? How to curb these kind of child tortures?
Thanks for your comments.
17 people like this
100 responses
@SACH4ISHA (1163)
• India
3 Dec 06
i m shocked to read that now days people became devile to other like them.
so i think they get behind the bars for whole of there life
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
3 Dec 06
What's more shocking is that these people were not caught after this incident. I think they escaped. They have no feeling for the act they committed!
3 people like this
@ChewySpree (1832)
• United States
3 Dec 06
It's terribly sad and disheartening to read stories like this. I don't know why people act the way they do sometimes. Sociopaths have not empathy for other humans and don't consider them people with feelings. I can only say that these two must be sociopaths with no feelings for their fellow humans.
4 people like this
@masoud02 (176)
• Oman
4 Dec 06
My heart real aching to hear this story.
These are not human beings-they are monsters and should be locked up for the rest of their lives.
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
4 Dec 06
Please Please Please, if anyone has got anyupdate about this couple or about these kids, please let me know.
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
3 Dec 06
I respect your feelings and totally agree with you. Only people with mental disorders can perform such shameful act.
3 people like this
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
3 Dec 06
Yes, its not right. I think child beating is the biggest crime one can commit. How can someone beat innocent childrens? SHOCKING....
3 people like this
@missy24 (90)
•
3 Dec 06
i realy dont understand the world we live in anymore.
i lost a child at birth and since then have been unable to concieve, i read things like this and think there are so many women like me and couples that would do anything for a child and would love it right, but we never get our chance and then people like this treat them worse than a animal!
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
3 Dec 06
Yes friend, World is getting kind of "LOST" if that is the word i can use. Just look at their photographs above. Do they look like torturing kids???? Cute little babies, kids! How can someone even think of torturing them. They really cannot harm anybody in this world???!!!
1 person likes this
@lucy02 (5016)
• United States
3 Dec 06
I looked this up because I remember hearing about this but didn't know what ever happened. They picked up the couple in Utah and they pled guilty and were sentenced to 15 yrs. They were also forced to apologize to the children. I can't imagine why someone would do this. They were adopted children. If the couple didn't want children, why did they adopt them, just to torture them?
3 people like this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
3 Dec 06
They should never ever be let out of jail! Not just for 'revenge', but to protect all folks, especially all children. People do such things for sick reasons. They are never to be trusted again. What if they get out in 15 (or less) years, and move to our town, or the own of our grandchildren, or any town!
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
3 Dec 06
Thanks for your response. I am really relieved to hear that they got atleast 15 years sentence. Well justice was done, wasnt it. Thanks again.
1 person likes this
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
3 Dec 06
Yes, how horrible and what a shameful act? I still am not able to believe anyone could do this. Just imagine that kidn of scene going on in front of your eyes.. .Ohhhhh!!
1 person likes this
@chalmette69 (3007)
• United States
3 Dec 06
Yuck, how could anyone ever do such a thing, these people deserve to have the same terrible things done to them, it is terrible, children are just not safe, you have to watch them every minite, I don't think any child can be to blame for such terrible things happening to them, these kind of people are just sick. I definalty think government should take it very seriously, children are our furture, with out them we will have no furture.
1 person likes this
@divir_vij (1591)
• India
4 Dec 06
THE way child labour is being tackled in Andhra Pradesh is fast proving to be a model for several other States in the country, according to Mr M.P. Joseph, Project Manager of the International Labour Organisation for Andhra Pradesh.
As per the 1991 census, Andhra Pradesh has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of child labour. However, it is also clear that the State has done the maximum to address the issue and evolve strategies to reduce it, Mr Joseph said at a workshop on the `Role of media in elimination of child labour in Andhra Pradesh'.
So far 18 different categories of people drawn from trade unions, corporates, civil society organisations, non-government organisations, religious groups etc., have been involved in ending child labour, he said.
The Andhra Mahila Sabha, which is the implementing agency for the State level civil society organisations network, which organised the workshop, said child labour harms a child's development physically, psychologically, socially and developmentally.
Ms C.S. Lakshmi, who is leading the programme for the Andhra Mahila Sabha said the network has grown to 20 districts with around 200 NGOs' involvement. There are also working groups in 450 of the 1,100 mandals and core committees in 3,000 villages to spread the message and tackle the problem of child labour in the State.
With a daunting number of 16.61 lakh children, of whom 51.5 per cent are girl children employed in various work, the challenge is gigantic. The State Government has declared its intention to end child labour by 2004, which implies fulfilment from not just the Government, but a strong collaboration with civil society organisations.
@mrsjumppuppy03 (3301)
• United States
4 Dec 06
Yes, what the Dollar's did is indispicable! They need to receive the same punishment that they provided these children! Yes, rip their toenails out, starvation, lock them in a closed for days, besides, their cells will be bigger. This is of where was the social workers???? If they were adopted or foster children, social services should have been checking periodically in with them to avert any such actions. This is a case where they, meaning the Dollars just wanted the state money for housing these children. They are incapable of loving them. They have proven that they do not know how to nurture or be compassionate with these kids. Send them to jail for life!
@MichelleLDevon (828)
• United States
4 Dec 06
Apparently, they moved around a lot and somewhere in all the moves they got lost in the paperwork.
@rockbaby (805)
• Lebanon
3 Dec 06
ok wat i dont understand is how did they get those 7 kids!!!
i mean when the adopt somebody the agency goes to their house and checks out if these kids r happy or not dont they? or at least talk to the kids.. they rnt young for them not to know.. they r teenagers..they must know.. anywho wat i dont understand is when they adopted 1st, 2nd child... how come the agency didnt know about it..:S
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
4 Dec 06
I was living in Florida at the time of that. I don't know the outcome, except that they were arrested.
I think it is horrible what people do to children and animals, just for money. I would lock them up and throw the key away. I don't think the government can get involved with the states, but I wish they did. I also think they need more help, and more dedicated people to investigate. But, they are always saying that they are overworked and underpaid, so things get through. We live in an unperfect world full of lots of wrong and sad things. I don't know what to say, except to pray and pray for God to help and give guidence.
1 person likes this
@MichelleLDevon (828)
• United States
4 Dec 06
The eventually plead no contest and got 15 year, plus 15 years probation and had to apologize to the kids.
Not enough!
@pooja_cg (1735)
• India
3 Dec 06
i just pray to god that let those poor kids forget this painful memories.and that inhuman couple should be caught and
put behind bars.they should be tortured in the same way they did with those kids.govt should check properly before giving a child by adoption.i mean its the height of cruelty.poor kids!
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
3 Dec 06
I think the kids in question are quite brave enough to approach the local authorities. I could not have even tolerated such acts. I dont know what i would have done in such a situation?
3 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
3 Dec 06
No Child deserves anything like this ever and why where these People not looked into before allowing Children there
Yes the Govermount should take things like this more serious and do more thourough Checks which was obviously failed here
These People are not human being able to do that and I hope they get locked away for good
I do hope that those Children are now receiving the Help and care that they deserve
They will be damaged for Life
@emarie (5442)
• United States
3 Dec 06
i remember that story on the news a while back. it really was shocking. i'm not sure if these people are mentally ill themselves, but i think they seriously thought they were doing something right....even though it was wrong. it is sad. people who can not handle children should never take care of them. foster parents should go through a harsh evaluation because from what i've heard some foster parents abuse the child a lot, they do it just for the money, and greed is the root of evil.
1 person likes this
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
4 Dec 06
Thats what i want to know. How to judge those people who cannot take care of children. How to curb these acts?
@Weasel_Sponge (1069)
• Canada
3 Dec 06
First, I would like to know where Child Protective Services were in all of this. If these people were foster parents at any time before adopting children, I just can't believe that their actions began only after adopting. People like this do not "suddenly" become monsters, and if CPS was actively do their job, there would have been some indication previously of abuse. I have, unfortunately, heard of cases where indeed CPS was involved, but nothing ever done or documented about abuse. Secondly, wouldn't SOMEONE besides the couple have known there was something amis? These people have to have relatives and neighbours who knew that there were children in the home...would it not seem odd to anyone that children were never seen outside the home, that they didn't attend family functions, etc., etc., etc.? Perhaps I am just a little nosier than the average person, but I'm aware of my surroundings, and even in the large condo building that i live in, I know what is happening with my neighbours. I don't know every intimate detail of their daily lives, but if I haven't seen "this person" in a while or I know that "so-and-so" is ill, I check in on them to make sure everything is okay. I have a lot of elderly people who live around me, so I make it my business to ensure that everyone is okay, even if it is just giving them a phone call or slipping a note under their door. (Everyone here knows that my intentions are good, so they don't feel as if I'm intruding.)
I just can't believe that children can be brutally abused for such a great length of time without ANYONE having a clue...people need to be held responsible for their actions, and in the case of children, for their inaction.
1 person likes this
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
4 Dec 06
I really dont have a clue if something like Child Protective Services exists in US or anywhere in this world. But yes, if it does, I would like to ask a simple question?
WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE DOING???????
@sirensanssmile (3764)
• Netherlands
4 Dec 06
These stories are seriously horrible and sad, but unfortunatly this happens all too often. People are motivated by the money they get for fostering children and don't care much for the children themselves.
1 person likes this
@casper20 (1463)
• India
8 Dec 06
oh my god.i hope that these people get what god has in their account.child abuse is a heinous of crimes.government according to me should take it very seriously.but in india this is really so normal.but not to this extend.this is not considered as a crime.there are parents beating up kids for no reason,and showing biase .it is normal in india.but this should be stopped.kids are humanbeings too,they should be allowed to live too.
1 person likes this
@findcutegj (1466)
• India
4 Dec 06
Yes, you are right. I do not want to believe this fact but they do exists. These people are nothing but devils in form of humans and thats why its difficult to recognise them.
@rebel_angel (60)
• Singapore
4 Dec 06
Some people are really cruel...i have no idea how can they even be able to do this on a helpless, defentless child...all of us aught to prwy for these children and hopw that the culcripts get caught soon...well...lets all pray and hope...
1 person likes this
