Trebilcock abuse trial WA

[Witsec7]

I'll post links with a warning that there are many triggers.

The Trebilcock family privately adopted children and starved them. Their own biological children are considered overweight. Although not directly linked to the Pearls, yet, there are pieces of testimony that link these folks to religious motivation.

Finally there will be a state working group formed to investigate abuse of adopted children. Hana Williams, died in 2011 after suffering abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents. The Williams were followers of TUAC

The link I'm posting has a listing of all coverage regarding this case below the article.

The Trebilcock's had a refrigerator alarm installed to notify them if the children were stealing food. This has been advocated by several members of the 'I love my large family' FB page as a means of cutting grocery costs. It was a WTF moment when I read those comments yesterday. Now today in light of these articles I'm ready to go over there and rip those women some new assholes.

http://tdn.com/news/local/adopted-son-t ... 963f4.html

edited to add here is a link to the Hana Williams case where TUAC was directly linked. This case is set to go to trial Oct 1.

http://iamarecoveringfundamentalist.wor ... ot_guilty/

[Lillybee]

Scary. Three of the adopted girls are from Haiti.

The kids are back in the school run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church that the parents attended. I don't understand why religious people abuse their adopted children.

[emmiedahl]

By all means, rip them a new asshole.

I understand that some children have food issues, but withholding food only exacerbates those. And I don't see why people don't just put healthy "anytime" snacks within their budget on a certain cupboard shelf and keep a fruit bowl on the table. Children need to eat more often than adults (and I am a snacker anyway so I completely understand).

[doggie]

Scary. Three of the adopted girls are from Haiti.

The kids are back in the school run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church that the parents attended. I don't understand why religious people abuse their adopted children.

because they are not really children. they are mini sinners that need converted and saved. They are projects to add god brownie points to your belt. all their identities and culture are to be ripped from them and they are to be turned into miniature American Christians.

Well mom and dad sure did not miss any meals. Notice they never took the children to doctors or anything their condition did not worry them.

I wonder if their own lawyer believes them?

[debrand]

Smith said the boy was severely malnourished and near death when he was rushed to a Portland hospital last year, his body perilously cold and his heart beating so slowly one doctor was surprised he was conscious, according to Smith and witnesses who testified Monday.

The boy’s body was covered with sores from eczema, Smith said, and he had four broken ribs

Prolifers like to pretend that every unwanted baby will be adopted by a loving family but this isn't always the case.

As far as putting a lock on the fridge, what could be the justification? If you don't have the money to feed children, why are you adopting any?

[doggie]

[quote="debrand"

As far as putting a lock on the fridge, what could be the justification? If you don't have the money to feed children, why are you adopting any?

[Witsec7]

Prolifers like to pretend that every unwanted baby will be adopted by a loving family but this isn't always the case.

As far as putting a lock on the fridge, what could be the justification? If you don't have the money to feed children, why are you adopting any?

The large family FB folks claim locks on the fridge keep kids from snacking between meals and limiting food costs.

I agree, if you cannot feed them why have more, that's a rational way to think but child collectors don't think rationally.

[BlueChair]

I think it's likely the food was initially locked up due to the kids' food hoarding (which is common and to be expected in children who have experienced trauma and food insecurity in the past), which pissed them off. It's a power and control thing, not a money thing. Never mind that the therapeutic and empathetic response to food hoarding is to have (healthy) food available 24/7 so in time they can learn to not feel the intense fear that the food is going to disappear and develop more normal eating patterns.

But of course talking about what is therapeutic or empathetic is laughable when it comes to these "parents". Does it say anywhere if they were adopted internationally or from foster care?

[Witsec7]

I think it's likely the food was initially locked up due to the kids' food hoarding (which is common and to be expected in children who have experienced trauma and food insecurity in the past), which pissed them off. It's a power and control thing, not a money thing. Never mind that the therapeutic and empathetic response to food hoarding is to have (healthy) food available 24/7 so in time they can learn to not feel the intense fear that the food is going to disappear and develop more normal eating patterns.

But of course talking about what is therapeutic or empathetic is laughable when it comes to these "parents". Does it say anywhere if they were adopted internationally or from foster care?

The Trebilcocks were denied a foster care adoption, the children were adopted from an undisclosed private agency in WA.

[Arete]

So these 2 obviously overweight child collectors decided the best way to trim the grocery bill was to limit their childrens' food? Or maybe because the kids were hoarding.

This is evil. This is so evil.

[Witsec7]

So these 2 obviously overweight child collectors decided the best way to trim the grocery bill was to limit their childrens' food? Or maybe because the kids were hoarding.

This is evil. This is so evil.

Point of clarification:I do not know if the Trebilcock's adopted children were hoarding. The women on the large families facebook page advocate locking the fridge and arming it with alarms to keep the kids away from food between meals as a means of lowering grocery bills.

[Arete]

To me, makes no difference whether the children were hoarding or not. Putting locks and/or alarms on your refrigerator is still disgusting. And they fed the one kid moldy bread as a matter or waste not want not. It's evil.

[Witsec7]

To me, makes no difference whether the children were hoarding or not. Putting locks and/or alarms on your refrigerator is still disgusting. And they fed the one kid moldy bread as a matter or waste not want not. It's evil.

Oh I agree with you totally. I've observed that some fundy families take food 'theft' seriously. It was a revisited topic on 7xSunday when that blog was live.

I do hope these folks get the max and get put into general population. I also hope the adoption agency is thoroughly investigated.

[emmiedahl]

To me, makes no difference whether the children were hoarding or not. Putting locks and/or alarms on your refrigerator is still disgusting. And they fed the one kid moldy bread as a matter or waste not want not. It's evil.

If you have a child who food hoarding, the best solution from what veteran foster parents tell me is to give them a rubbermaid bin that they can squirrel away wherever they want. Take them to the grocery store, let them pick out healthy and nonperishable snacks to keep in the bin, and refill as necessary. It helps to remove the basic insecurity behind the behavior. Let them see that in your home, food is not and never will be in short supply. I could see taking more extreme measures, but only if the child was eating to the point of compromising their health and I had a doctor and psychotherapist's okay on it. When you grow up without enough food, it puts you in a scary primal place where food is always a worry.

These children were half-starved. Obviously they were not overeating. I do have an outside closet that locks, where I keep the load of Costco supplies for the two days it takes to deplete them. But it is locked to keep neighbors out of it, and it contains things used in meals rather than snacks. If money is an issue, the parents can make things from scratch like oatmeal cookies and homemade pretzels. Or just let the kids gorge on ramen. Anything is better than starving them.

[Guest Anonymous]

When you grow up without enough food, it puts you in a scary primal place where food is always a worry.

QFT. I was never starving but I was sometimes hungry. Even now I get antsy in a situation where there's no food. I have to buy a box of granola bars or something just to be able to sleep overnight in a hotel.

[Arete]

If you have a child who food hoarding, the best solution from what veteran foster parents tell me is to give them a rubbermaid bin that they can squirrel away wherever they want. Take them to the grocery store, let them pick out healthy and nonperishable snacks to keep in the bin, and refill as necessary. It helps to remove the basic insecurity behind the behavior. Let them see that in your home, food is not and never will be in short supply.

This, totally this. I have a friend who adopted a 6 year old and the poor child was a hoarder because she came out of a famine zone. The child psychologist told her parents to do exactly this, and they made it a point of helping her pack or check her bins after the weekly grocery run. That hoarding child is now a beautiful 16 year old who outgrew the need for the bins. She was lucky though, as the daughter of a lapsed Lutheran and a Jew, she was not subject to fundementalist "training". She got unconditional love and REAL professional help.

[luckystone]

I can understand the fridge lock thing for some people - I know some kids will just keep on eating and eating and eating and it's not to do with the cost but more their own health. If they are overweight and don't have the self-control it's reasonable for the parents to enforce it (when trying to instil it) so they don't come home and find all their cheese gone or whatever else. It's not to do with whether the food is healthy or not it's the quantities. Some kids are like that.

If the kid has come from a famine area or something, then it is extremely cruel to do that, same for doing it for costs.

[Sola]

I tend to hide sweet things, simply because my son has an issue with binge eating (he's aspergers) sweets. Things that are not hidden are the normal everyday foods which he has free access to. I stash away biscuits, sweets and cake stuffs because I don't he will clear the lot in one sitting - he has no appetite control whatsoever. But fruit, cereal, yoghurt and all things like that are there for whoever wants them. For the sweet stuff, I usually dole some out after meals, that way it lasts and my son can't binge on the crap stuff.

[Terrie]

I can see the lock for kids who has disorders that basically remove the "off-switch" on their eating. Prader-Willi for instance. But none of these kids had that. The "parents" are trying to claim that the kids were underweight because of the flu and other medical issues. Which means they basically are pleading medical neglect, instead of intentional abuse. Grrrrr.

[Peas n carrots]

Just the total lack of compassion and understanding bothers me. TBH I think TUAC only reinforces and justifies to the parents they are doing the right thing. I don't really believe that book and other fundie advice turned normal people into sociopaths.

I wonder if the agencies provide any support services for adopting international children, but the parents might not want to accept the help? Also, I tend to think there would have been some red flags with these parents...abusers just don't become abusers out of the blue. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of their bio children were the main targets for abuse, and it only shifted to the adopted kids once they were brought into the family.

[Chavymishmacoy]

Even if these kids were only fed three decent meals a day they still would not be under nourished. These fatsos probably withheld food so they could cram more it into their fat joweld gobs.

[gimlet]

Just the total lack of compassion and understanding bothers me. TBH I think TUAC only reinforces and justifies to the parents they are doing the right thing. I don't really believe that book and other fundie advice turned normal people into sociopaths.

I wonder if the agencies provide any support services for adopting international children, but the parents might not want to accept the help? Also, I tend to think there would have been some red flags with these parents...abusers just don't become abusers out of the blue. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of their bio children were the main targets for abuse, and it only shifted to the adopted kids once they were brought into the family.

One of the articles in the paper experiencedd linked to had the expert's trail testimony saying just that. Also, the older kids aged out and became adults.

[Lillybee]

I had a work friend whose daughter would up in foster care for a bit. She tells me that the foster parents had a lock on the fridge. I think that this type of abuse is more wide spread than we know.

[AnnieC 305]

I had a work friend whose daughter would up in foster care for a bit. She tells me that the foster parents had a lock on the fridge. I think that this type of abuse is more wide spread than we know.

I saw it referenced in an episode of Criminal Minds once. That suggests that it's common.

[easternabeille]

Unless there is an underlying medical/other condition that requires a child to have a managed diet there is absolutely NO justification for limiting a child's access to food! Unbelievable that these fundie 'I love my large family' types of people advocate locking up/limiting access to food as a means to control the grocery bill. Sick and sad!