Bittners/By Grace Alone

[Wolfie]

Okay, so she's 18. Whatever on her computer could be "children" who are under 18. In any case it is NOT a good thing, but it might not be as young as it sounds, and it may have just been her with another 17 year old when she was 17. Did they release ages of the victims anywhere?

This person needs help, and trying to sweep everything under the rug isn't going to help anybody. Her parents need to wake up.

[Kitty]

Okay, so she's 18. Whatever on her computer could be "children" who are under 18. In any case it is NOT a good thing, but it might not be as young as it sounds, and it may have just been her with another 17 year old when she was 17. Did they release ages of the victims anywhere?

This person needs help, and trying to sweep everything under the rug isn't going to help anybody. Her parents need to wake up.

The children were supposedly 10 and 12. That's pretty freaking young even at 18.

[Wolfie]

The children were supposedly 10 and 12. That's pretty freaking young even at 18.

Yes, that is a big deal and there is a lot wrong there. Why the hell did the parents not get this girl help?

[fundiefun]

There is a lot of things wrong with this whole situation and I have a feeling even more things will come out as this goes to trial and they do some digging around about these familie's backgrounds. Apparently its common place to shuffle your kids off to another fundie family if you are out of line in your own. You think help would have been given after she was removed from the abusive IFB girl's school and not shuffled off to another family like it was no big deal. I can't imagine being raped sent off as punishment and then sent off again. This whole situation is messed up.

[demgirl]

I would expect them either to find a way to acknowledge something even if to mention that something terribly painful had happened, or to just leave the blog alone for a while. Or make it private. Or something. As it is, they just look like obnoxious evil dicks, celebrating Christmas so openly, while the young daughter is in prison and two young children have had their lives wrecked.

What are you talking about? They totes acknowledged it! Witness:

Blogger L@^@^@ said...

That's so special that Jessica was able to come and celebrate with you guys! She seems to fit right in with your family! (-:

Where's Priscilla? Did I just miss her in the pictures?

It's great to hear from you again!

January 14, 2012 11:21 AM

Blogger Jacqueline said...

Anonymous: We definitely did have a very wonderful holiday! It was one of the best yet! Blessings to you as well! :)

Lauren: She fit in very well and we had such an enjoyable time with her! She is so sweet and I absolutely adore her! (We all did :)

Priscilla wasn't with us. Please pray for her.

In all seriousness, this whole thing makes me ill. So many victims in this.

[emmiedahl]

-In 2010, age 16, P was gang-raped and turned to alcohol to cope

-Parents took her 'on holiday' and while there enrolled her in a 'Reform school' where she was told her rape was her own fault, beaten, starved, humiliated and told she was speaking the Devil's words.

-In 2011 she came home and was diagnosed with PTSD.

-In August 2011 Her behaviour was still 'out of control' so she was sent to live with another fundie family

-In October 2011, she went missing for a week, but was found and returned to fundie family.

-Fundie family found videos of abuse on P's laptop in October and handed them into police leading to P's arrest in Dec 2011

-P's family celebrate Christmas 2011 with a public photo-fest on her sister's blog.

Is that about it?

What a terrible fucking tragedy - I hope that all involved are being investigated.

Did she molest the children of the people she was staying with? According to one news report, the videos were shot in August of 2011. Or did she get caught by her family that month so they sent her away (where there were more kids to victimize--I should hope not)?

[Guest Anonymous]

Did she molest the children of the people she was staying with? According to one news report, the videos were shot in August of 2011. Or did she get caught by her family that month so they sent her away (where there were more kids to victimize--I should hope not)?

I don't think we know. On 1 August 11, J writes on the blog about forgiving a "friend" 70x7 times.

[Deleted03]

Did she molest the children of the people she was staying with? According to one news report, the videos were shot in August of 2011. Or did she get caught by her family that month so they sent her away (where there were more kids to victimize--I should hope not)?

if the family knew, are they accomplices?

[mirele]

This is so ugly, I'm practically nauseous. If I were the prosecutor, I'd be worried about bringing this case to trial because P's background (the gang rape, the reform school) is going to make it hard to get a conviction--if P has competent counsel. What also concerns me is that the Bs are probably not going to put 2 and 2 together and figure out that gee, if they had treated P the way you treat a girl who has been gang-raped, and not sent her off to the reform school, then maybe P wouldn't have acted out and gotten herself in way worse trouble.

The moral of the story, kids, is: no matter how pretty it looks on the outside, it can be an absolute disaster if you care to scratch the surface. That's why I appreciate FJ.

[haveapicniclife]

Quoting anniec's earlier post:

If this is referring to Priscilla's absence, in light of the family's "treatment" for her behavior after a GANG RAPE, this is too horrible to be borne.

The bolding is mine. I took this to mean that an engagement is imminent and they are gaining a new member of the family.

I never considered that the victims could be her siblings. But as my husband pointed out, wouldn't THOSE kids be punished because being raped was THEIR fault then? (following fundie logic there)

[Guest Anonymous]

I think she was living away from home at the time she perpetrated the abuse.

[Mudgie]

The crime was committed in New York. She was arrested in Maryland as she was living there at the time, but the warrant was issued in New York and she was extradited there after her arrest.

The children whose victimization led to her arrest are not her siblings. However that doesn't necessarily mean that her siblings have not been victims. Not that they'd get the help they need if they were.

Can you imagine what'll happen to her in jail? An 18 year old white girl raised in the Gothard world and becomes a convicted child molester? She'll probably be in solitary confinement for her own protection. There is no way that girl has the street smarts or savvy to survive in jail. She'll be meat.

[Deleted03]

The crime was committed in New York. She was arrested in Maryland as she was living there at the time, but the warrant was issued in New York and she was extradited there after her arrest.

The children whose victimization led to her arrest are not her siblings. However that doesn't necessarily mean that her siblings have not been victims. Not that they'd get the help they need if they were.

Can you imagine what'll happen to her in jail? An 18 year old white girl raised in the Gothard world and becomes a convicted child molester? She'll probably be in solitary confinement for her own protection. There is no way that girl has the street smarts or savvy to survive in jail. She'll be meat.

that and she has PTSD...

[deelaem]

Thank you.

So, if I have it right:

-In 2010, age 16, P was gang-raped and turned to alcohol to cope

-Parents took her 'on holiday' and while there enrolled her in a 'Reform school' where she was told her rape was her own fault, beaten, starved, humiliated and told she was speaking the Devil's words.

-In 2011 she came home and was diagnosed with PTSD.

-In August 2011 Her behaviour was still 'out of control' so she was sent to live with another fundie family

-In October 2011, she went missing for a week, but was found and returned to fundie family.

-Fundie family found videos of abuse on P's laptop in October and handed them into police leading to P's arrest in Dec 2011

-P's family celebrate Christmas 2011 with a public photo-fest on her sister's blog.

Is that about it?

What a terrible fucking tragedy - I hope that all involved are being investigated.

We need to save all this information and the next time some righteous fundie shows up here, expounding on the virtues of their faith, we show them this. And then ask them just how well their methods work in dealing with with tragedy like this.

I fuckin' HATE patriarchy and fundamentalism!!

[haveapicniclife]

The crime was committed in New York. She was arrested in Maryland as she was living there at the time, but the warrant was issued in New York and she was extradited there after her arrest.

The children whose victimization led to her arrest are not her siblings. However that doesn't necessarily mean that her siblings have not been victims. Not that they'd get the help they need if they were.

Can you imagine what'll happen to her in jail? An 18 year old white girl raised in the Gothard world and becomes a convicted child molester? She'll probably be in solitary confinement for her own protection. There is no way that girl has the street smarts or savvy to survive in jail. She'll be meat.

Not to mention she's exactly 5 feet tall, barely 100lbs, and has a baby face. She's tiny and looks really young.

[apple1]

The crime was committed in New York. She was arrested in Maryland as she was living there at the time, but the warrant was issued in New York and she was extradited there after her arrest.

The children whose victimization led to her arrest are not her siblings. However that doesn't necessarily mean that her siblings have not been victims. Not that they'd get the help they need if they were.

Bolded: How do you know this?

[Mudgie]

Well that was my assumption from reading the various articles because it said she was living away from home when the crime occurred.

[apple1]

Apparently, their teenage daughter had been gang-raped and in order to 'fix' her, her parents signed a consent form for a reform school to beat with a paddle up to 15 times every 24 hours.

Everyone involved ought to be arrested and questioned. Everyone.

I agree with anniec.

From the ABC pdf:

"We thought maybe Priscilla would go there and hide out and pull herself together," said Jeannie Marie. "We thought it was a safe place to go and we wouldn't have to worry...We trusted our church." Priscilla left the school in January, but said the punitive approach left her with no self-worth and anxiety attacks so bad she cannot breathe. New Beginnings charges $10,300 a year, according to its admission application. On a signed form, parents agree to "corporal discipline," which is spelled out in their mission statement as up to 15 "swats" with a wooden paddle in each 24-hour period for misbehavior. The school's mission also prohibits, "bringing civil

lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes."

1- They thought that "hiding out" (Mom's words/above) was the thing to do to get past gang rape, even though it had required hospitalization for the physical consequences, never mind worse mental/psychological consequences.

I would suggest that it was not the daughter who wanted to "hide out", but rather the fact that none of this fit in their picture of the "perfect" family.

2- There is a huge disconnect; the same parent(s) say "hide out" and yet give signed consent for their kid to be beat daily. You have got to be kidding.

3- As for signing an "agreement" to never bring a lawsuit, was that not a red flag? Another disconnect, I suppose. BTW It has been repeatedly ruled in American court cases that blanket consents are do not hold up legally as consents.

[Deleted03]

I agree with anniec.

From the ABC pdf:

"We thought maybe Priscilla would go there and hide out and pull herself together," said Jeannie Marie. "We thought it was a safe place to go and we wouldn't have to worry...We trusted our church." Priscilla left the school in January, but said the punitive approach left her with no self-worth and anxiety attacks so bad she cannot breathe. New Beginnings charges $10,300 a year, according to its admission application. On a signed form, parents agree to "corporal discipline," which is spelled out in their mission statement as up to 15 "swats" with a wooden paddle in each 24-hour period for misbehavior. The school's mission also prohibits, "bringing civil

lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes."

1- They thought that "hiding out" (Mom's words/above) was the thing to do to get past gang rape, even though it had required hospitalization for the physical consequences, never mind worse mental/psychological consequences.

I would suggest that it was not the daughter who wanted to "hide out", but rather the fact that none of this fit in their picture of the "perfect" family.

2- There is a huge disconnect; the same parent(s) say "hide out" and yet give signed consent for their kid to be beat daily. You have got to be kidding.

3- As for signing an "agreement" to never bring a lawsuit, was that not a red flag? Another disconnect, I suppose. BTW It has been repeatedly ruled in American court cases that blanket consents are do not hold up legally as consents.

anyway you can't be legally bound to an illegal act. If there is physical abuse it does not matter if you signer you would not press charges, right? or else you'd be treated as equally guilty... anyway, it's just stupid to make people sign you don't press charges when they abuse minors and isn't minor abuse something the state HAS to press charges on?

I hope the trial is fair, and takes a very good look into the family and P's circumstances. Yes the kids that were molested deserve justice, but I doubt they'd be happier if the people who contributed to such a situation are not incriminated.

[SunnyAndrsn]

Something still doesn't add up to me. Being gang raped doesn't turn a teenager into a pedophile. What the hell happened to her at the "reform school"? What happened earlier in her childhood? There is a LOT more to this story. A LOT.

[NurseNell]

Something still doesn't add up to me. Being gang raped doesn't turn a teenager into a pedophile. What the hell happened to her at the "reform school"? What happened earlier in her childhood? There is a LOT more to this story. A LOT.

Totally agree.

[apple1]

Totally agree.

I also think that there is a LOT more to this story.

Other than the multiple blogs presenting pretty pictures and sanitized stories of wonderful family life, and extremely minimal/almost no detail/just a couple of news stories, the internet seems to have been "scrubbed" on this. (Most of the various links with the minimal-detail-news-story seem to be identical).

[alysee]

This just makes me so sad for everyone involved.

[Black Aliss]

Something still doesn't add up to me. Being gang raped doesn't turn a teenager into a pedophile. What the hell happened to her at the "reform school"? What happened earlier in her childhood? There is a LOT more to this story. A LOT.

Under the letter of law, she may be an accused pedophile, but I would be very surprised if Priscilla was actually sexually attracted to children. She could very well be suffering from mental illness as a result of being gang-raped, apparently physically injured to the extent that she needed hospitalization, and then being blamed for causing the rape to happen.

Or, if she was told at New Beginnings that what happened to her wasn't so bad as to justify her behavior afterwards, she may have abused those children as further acting out (if what happened to me wasn't bad, then this isn't bad either!) and with the intent of being caught (else why would she photograph the acts of abuse and then leave her laptop behind when she ran away?)

Or, she could have been sexually abused within her family or church community, starting when she was about the age of her alleged victims. My understanding (from counselors who specialize in therapy for sexual abuse victims) is that sexual abuse as a child can leave you stuck developmentally at the age when the abuse took place. In that case even if Priscilla was 18 years old when this happened, she was operating at the level of a much younger child.

Understand that I am in no way dismissing what happened to the children as being anything less than horrible, but Priscilla may not be the monster she's being made out to be. I can only hope that in prison she receives the help she so desperately needed years ago.

[puddle]

Wow. This broke my heart. I couldn't place the name from the first post but it sounded vaguely familiar. I realized after looking at Jacqueline's blog that she was engaged to the brother of a friend of mine. Never met her but I remember seeing pictures of them on Facebook and thinking how she looked *SO* absolutely perfect all the time, every hair in place, every possible thing covered with makeup... and honestly wondering what was underneath all that. There is such pressure to appear picture-perfect in ATI culture. Can't imagine what Priscilla must have suffered through...