Williams Abuse Trial - Hana Alemu/Hannah Williams - Merge

[Elinor]

My 4 yo cousin asked to roast "smushmallows" at my house last weekend and I was downright giddy that she hadn't learned the correct way to say marshmallow over the winter. :D

Same here. I'm forever grateful to the speech therapist and her tongue depressor! It was tough for me to learn. I still have to concentrate to say words like rural correctly.

I have never had a problem with R, but I can barely say "rural"! That is a tough word, IMO.

[AnywhereButHere]

My son had a thing for the L sound, like "lellow" and "lilicopter". We would pass by an airfield everyday on the way to (evil) daycare, and he'd be practically bouncing out of his carseat, shouting "lilicopter!!!!" over and over and over. My husband and I will still, every time we see a helicopter, shout "Hey look, a lilicopter!", which gets us an eyeroll and a you're so lame sigh from the now 13 year old.

He also for a while pronounced Republican as "Repugnican". His dad got a huge kick out of that one. His grandfather did not. Holiday dinners could get interesting at times...

[LongDogMom]

"A Washington state couple were convicted of manslaughter Monday in the gruesome starvation and hypothermia death of a teenage girl they adopted from Ethiopia.

A jury found Larry Williams, of Sedro-Woolley, guilty of first-degree manslaughter, while his wife, Carri Williams, was found guilty of homicide by abuse as well as manslaughter. The jury also convicted them both of assault and each faces a possible life sentence.

Hana Williams died in May 2011 in the backyard of the couple's home, where she was forced to stay as part of a strict system of child-rearing outlined in a Christian parenting book."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ghter.html

[Delilah]

I'm confused. I thought the trial and conviction of the mom was a long time ago. The last I heard the mom was working on an appeal because she felt her sentence was too severe since the state hadn't really proven the age of the victim. Why did the state have another trial?

I think anyone who would treat a child so cruelly deserves the maximum punishment, so I'm glad they got such long sentences.

edit - I just did a quick Google check and can't find anything about a new trial. Am I missing something?

[Delilah]

I just saw that the article is pretty old. Yay reading comprehension.

[roddma]

This case is already well-known. Her brother Immanuel also died in their care. They expected 'complete obedience' Two other children died from followers of the pearls: Lydia Schatz and Sean Paddock in case you are interested.

I think of the Duggar kids when I saw this

When investigators interviewed their biological children, they noted that they appeared to be strangely cheery and were often looking at their parents, as if to be sure they answered questions the way their parents wanted them to.

Though it is unclear if the Duggars used any of the methods, they used to promote the Pearls' material.

http://religiouschildmaltreatment.com/2 ... -immanuel/

[thoughtful]

LongDogMom, if you want to see the previous discussion about this, I think it's all in this subforum:

viewforum.php?f=98

Gird up your loins and have a box of tissues and something unbreakable you can punch nearby -- it is tough going.

[karen77]

"A Washington state couple were convicted of manslaughter Monday in the gruesome starvation and hypothermia death of a teenage girl they adopted from Ethiopia.

A jury found Larry Williams, of Sedro-Woolley, guilty of first-degree manslaughter, while his wife, Carri Williams, was found guilty of homicide by abuse as well as manslaughter. The jury also convicted them both of assault and each faces a possible life sentence.

Hana Williams died in May 2011 in the backyard of the couple's home, where she was forced to stay as part of a strict system of child-rearing outlined in a Christian parenting book."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ghter.html

wow, that is like 30 miles from me!

[dianapavelovna]

Yesterday, May 12, was the 8th anniversary of Hana's death at the hands of her adoptive parents, Carri & Larry Williams. For anyone unfamiliar, the Williams were a homeschooling, Pearl-following fundie family who adopted Hana and her younger biological brother Immanuel from Ethiopia. Both were terribly abused, and Hana lost her life. Fortunately both of the Williams are serving long prison sentences now. See here & an old FJ thread here. 

I wanted to post tonight to share the link to a GoFundMe campaign for Immanuel. He was adopted from foster care following his removal from the Williams, and he will turn 18 next month. His wish for his birthday is to be able to visit Ethiopia with his adoptive family "to complete his healing and to start his adult life with clarity and empowerment." I know many FJ members were deeply affected by Hana & Immanuel's story - including myself. I think helping Immanuel take this step in his journey is an excellent way to support him and honor Hana, and I will be making a donation. Here, again, is the link to the campaign for any other FJers who feel so inclined and are able to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/37ftu-revisit-ethiopia-for-immanuel

[Palimpsest]

Thank you for posting this @dianapavelovna.  I will  definitely be making a contribution to the fund too.

I also want to add a trigger warning for people unfamiliar with the story who want to do more research.  The physical and emotional abuse both Hana and Immanuel suffered was truly appalling. 

I am glad Immanuel is doing so well today, and this trip is indeed a tribute to the memory of Hana Alemu.

 

[Howl]

This story deeply touched me, and I was glad to see the Williams parents get long prison sentences.   

But in a sense, there's no justice.  A child is dead. The Williams children are growing up without their parents.  Immanuel is probably still recovering from trauma.  I hope his trip to Ethiopia is healing. 

[Briefly]

I saw a documentary or read about this story, I don't remember which, but it was very detailed and it was just appalling.  I felt so bad for those children.  I hope he has been able to heal, at least as much as he could.  Also, the Williams children.  It was just a bad thing all around.

[Palimpsest]

11 hours ago, Howl said:

The Williams children are growing up without their parents. 

Let's not get too sentimental.  This is actually a very good thing. 

I quote from Judge Susan Cook's summing up at the sentencing of Carri and Larry Williams.

Quote

"What I see is one child dead, one child with PTSD, and seven biological children who apparently believe that degrading and dehumanizing another person is completely acceptable," said Judge Cook.

Judge Cook added, "These two children who had already endured the loss of their parents in Ethiopia were brought to this country by the defendants for a better life, but they fell into a black hole. At the bottom of that hole they did not find the land of milk and honey. They found the land of frozen vegetables and water soaked sandwiches."

A black hole indeed.  Thank you, Judge Susan Cook, for giving the maximum sentences to Larry and Carri Williams.  I hope they will end their lives in prison. 

The  bio-children had been turned into brutes and abusers by their parents.  Some of them even participated in the beatings. 

The minor bio-children went into foster care or found homes with family members. I think Immanuel was the youngest child in the home so they are probably all adults today.

I hope the bio-children all had court-ordered counselling and no longer think their parents' methods of "discipline" acceptable or normal.  The oldest, adult, son was already in the military and defended his parents' actions.  I hope he has had successful counselling too.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Palimpsest
more info

[Howl]

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

Let's not get too sentimental.  This is actually a very good thing. 

Good point.  So let me amend this to say that, due the to parents' (and especially Carri Williams') toxic fundamentalist beliefs put into action,  these kids ended up being raised, in some instances, by strangers.  These parents' beliefs and actions destroyed the lives of their children.  I too hope the kids received excellent (NOT CHRISTIAN) counseling.  Who knows what type of upbringing the kids who were raised by relatives received or the kids put into foster care.  

I do believe, based on the Williams case and those of others who followed the Pearls' (or other fundamentalist doctrines on instant obedience and physical discipline) to an extreme degree, even to the death of children, there was some kind of pre-existing and underlying relentless drive for absolute control, especially with Carri.  Adding the Pearl's beliefs was like pouring gas on the fire. 

 

[older than allosaurs]

Thank you for the GoFundMe information about Immanuel. I will donate and spread that word, especially since I live nearby.

I believe the younger bio children were adopted, I think by a relative or family friend. Carri lost an appeal on her termination of parental rights back in 2015, when her youngest biological child was 11.

 

[starfish]

I hope that the Williams' bio children get all their vaccinations and attend public schools, and that Larry and Carri hear about

it. I like to think of them being horrified by those two developments. That would probably bother them more than a child being murdered. 

[Palimpsest]

On 5/15/2019 at 9:09 AM, Howl said:

I do believe, based on the Williams case and those of others who followed the Pearls' (or other fundamentalist doctrines on instant obedience and physical discipline) to an extreme degree, even to the death of children, there was some kind of pre-existing and underlying relentless drive for absolute control, especially with Carri.  Adding the Pearl's beliefs was like pouring gas on the fire. 

That is Michael Pearl's defense.  He claims that his methods of training up children, if properly applied, are not dangerous or harmful at all.  The Williamses, Shatzes and Paddocks were just overusing his methods and abusive people anyway.  It's not his fault, He would never beat a child todeath because he beats children with love.  https://nogreaterjoy.org/ministry/answers/response-to-schatz-case/

And plumbing line doesn't hurt them much.  FTR, it does hurt them.  And it can certainly  kill them.   

In a later post he said: "I laugh at my caustic critics."  Charming.

I think many people who self-select into extreme Fundamentalism are what we used to call authoritarian personalities.  Erich Fromm coined the term originally I believe.  Basically Fascist types who see things in black and white with no shades of gray.  They demand submission to authority, but they also like to submit to authority themselves.  They need rule books for behavior (like the Bible or TTUAC) because they can't or won't think for themselves.

We now call this theory "Right-wing Authoritarianism."  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_authoritarianism

It is controversial.  Make of it what you will.

 

[DarkAnts]

Hana was not just beaten. She was starved and forced to live outside. She did not have clothing and had to use the garden hose as a shower.