Amethyst Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Ohio Woman Says Kids Requested Cages (Please read first) NORWALK, Ohio - Some of the special-needs children who slept in cage-like beds fitted with alarms had asked for the structures to be built, their adoptive mother testified at a custody hearing. Sharen Gravelle testified Wednesday that she and her husband Michael built bunk beds and attached a wooden playhouse the family called a club house for some of the children's toys. The other children then requested them and the couple felt the brightly painted beds enclosed with wood and wire helped keep them from getting into trouble at night, she said. The couple have pleaded not guilty to several charges, including child endangerment, in a separate criminal case. The custody hearing was scheduled to resume Thursday. Prosecutors accuse the couple of locking some of their 11 adopted children in cages to discipline them, and want Huron County to take permanent custody them. The children have been in foster care since the enclosed beds were discovered last fall. The Gravelles are fighting to regain custody. They deny abusing their adopted children, ages 1 to 15, and say the beds were necessary to protect the youngsters, who suffered from various psychological and behavioral problems. Under questioning by her attorney, Ken Myers, Sharen Gravelle said that when the children became older they acted up more, including escaping from their regular beds in the middle of the night to fetch knives from the kitchen or to punch each other. "They just didn't seem normal to me, I mean the behavior didn't and I didn't know what to do," she said. Okay, so your kids had problems. And even if they did request to be put in cages (which I highly doubt), it doesn't mean you give them to them! If your kids requested to eat nothing but junk food for the rest of their lives, would you give it to them? Yeah, they'd live but they wouldn't be very healthy. Children do not always know what is best for them. As a parent, it is your responsibility to give them what is best for them. And especially since those kids had behavioral disorders, it's your responsibility to get them the help they need. Not to abuse them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 I keep my kids in cages. But only on the weekends. And I'm from Ohio, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asimov Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 ]"They just didn't seem normal to me, I mean the behavior didn't and I didn't know what to do," she said. How about teaching the fucking kids.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shiva H. Vishnu Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 That's horrible. If these people had one ounce of parenting skills they'd know that 5mg of rohypnol in the kids' milk at night would guarantee there'd be no nighttime shenanigans. Beats building cages, that's for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asimov Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 That's horrible. If these people had one ounce of parenting skills they'd know that 5mg of rohypnol in the kids' milk at night would guarantee there'd be no nighttime shenanigans. Beats building cages, that's for sure. Or just a good beating: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japedo Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Gravelle said Thompson approved the beds and that at least one inspection for another adoption was done at the home in rural Wakeman about 60 miles west of Cleveland after the enclosures were built. Not only do the what I can hardly call parents need to be held accountable for this atrocity, so does the person that passed the so called inspection and approved it. Their ass needs to spend time behind bars as well! They should also be charged with child endangerment, as they knew the condition of the house and passed it any how. As for the cells? Common.. kids don't even like to be sent to their room even if theirs a Nintendo system in there if their grounded, Do they really expect people to believe the children requested their jail cells with alarms? The only way I can see that to be so, is if there was a worse punishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirrti Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Ohhh! So they weren't cages, they were playhouses. Who knew? That explains why the kids begged for them. They loved them so much, I guess they also asked for alarms in case someone tried to break into them while they were gone. Well, I hope these two idiots still think playhouses are fun to be in since they'll be spending a long time in one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormwarden Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Okay, the parents have just put themselves in a nice deep hole...either they are lousy parents for granting the "request" or they are lying through their teeth. Either way, they are not going to regain custody unless the judge makes a mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted March 3, 2006 Author Share Posted March 3, 2006 Not only do the what I can hardly call parents need to be held accountable for this atrocity, so does the person that passed the so called inspection and approved it. Their ass needs to spend time behind bars as well! They should also be charged with child endangerment, as they knew the condition of the house and passed it any how. As for the cells? Common.. kids don't even like to be sent to their room even if theirs a Nintendo system in there if their grounded, Do they really expect people to believe the children requested their jail cells with alarms? The only way I can see that to be so, is if there was a worse punishment. I could only see it if the kids had very severe disorders and extremely low self-esteem (in which case, they should've been send to a child psychologist, not locked up). But I'm pretty sure the parents are lying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clearview Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 I keep my kids in cages. But only on the weekends. And I'm from Ohio, too. It must be an Ohio thing. Sometimes, I take other people's kids and put them in cages. They look so cute in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasemonkey Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 When doing some x-mas shopping last year I had two little twerps zoom by me at light speed in a dept store, and one of the little bastards kicked my cane out from under me (yes, very much on purpose, and no I didn't fall). If I could have laid my hands on them, I might have considered a cage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrmarlin Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 When doing some x-mas shopping last year I had two little twerps zoom by me at light speed in a dept store, and one of the little bastards kicked my cane out from under me (yes, very much on purpose, and no I didn't fall). If I could have laid my hands on them, I might have considered a cage... Hey, Grease. If I were you and I could find her/him, I would have said something to their father/mother... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sage Nabooru Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 When doing some x-mas shopping last year I had two little twerps zoom by me at light speed in a dept store, and one of the little bastards kicked my cane out from under me (yes, very much on purpose, and no I didn't fall). If I could have laid my hands on them, I might have considered a cage... You gotta stand up for yo'self! So do I, now that I think of it......there's always that fear of offending the parents. But even if they're real assholes and go into "OMG how dare you chastise my poor innocent angel baby who was just having fun and learning" mode and sue, the judge will rule in your favor. As long as you don't use your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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