11 Kids found in cages in Ohio

[WhiteDove]

This is too crazy What the hell is wrong with people?

Eleven kids found in cages in home

Updated: 12:39 a.m. ET Sept. 13, 2005

WAKEMAN, Ohio - Sheriff’s deputies found 11 children locked in cages less than 3½ feet high inside a home, but a couple denied they had abused or neglected the children.

A judge on Monday put the children — who range in age from 1 to 14 and who have various disabilities, including autism — in foster homes.

The children were found in nine cages built into the walls of the house near this small city in northern Ohio, according to the Huron County Sheriff’s Office. They had no blankets or pillows, and the cages were rigged with alarms that sounded if opened, Lt. Randy Sommers said.

The children told authorities they slept in the cages — 40 inches high and 40 inches deep — at night. Doors to some of the cages were blocked with heavy furniture.

Sharen and Mike Gravelle are adoptive or foster parents for all 11 children, officials said. Prosecutors were reviewing the case, but no charges had been filed as of Monday night.

A children’s services investigator saw one of the children in a cage Friday, Sommers said. The sheriff’s office obtained a warrant and returned to the house that evening and removed the children.

The Gravelles do not have a listed telephone number.

A woman who identified herself as Sharen Gravelle’s mother but would not give her name said the children were happy in their new home.

“This year they have played and had fun and laughed like no other children have, which they have never been able to do,” she said.

At a hearing, the judge placed the children in the custody of the Department of Job and Family Services, and officials placed them in four foster homes, said county Juvenile Court Administrator Chris Mushett.

Appearing with a lawyer at the hearing, the Gravelles denied they had abused or neglected the children.

County Prosecutor Russell Leffler said the Gravelles claimed a psychiatrist recommended they place the children in cages.

The couple were reserved when deputies arrived at the house to remove the children, Sommers said.

“The impression that we got was that they felt it was OK,” he said.

Investigators believe nine of the children slept in the cages that were stacked two-high on the house’s second story. Two mattresses on a bedroom floor also showed signs of recent use, Sommers said.

One of the boys said he’d slept in the cage for three years, Sommers said.

Wakeman, with a population of about 1,000, is some 50 miles west of Cleveland.

[GarthP2000]

((sigh)) People like that should be forbidden to ever have or take care of children, even if it means spaying/neutering them to enforce this.

[Watered Garden]

If in fact some psychiatrist recommended this, he/she should lose his/her license immediately and maybe be prosecuted.

I cannot understand how these people keep getting to adopt/foster kids. Our home was inspected regularly when we were foster parents, and we had extensive interviews, tests, examinations, and recommendations by four couples who had known us more than 5 years before we were ever remotely considered as adoptive parents, or even allowed near children. I realize getting foster parents to take handicapped children is a challenge. However, most states (we were in SC) require specialized training for those foster parents who are willing to do so.

Are these jerks licensed by the State of Ohio or a private agency?

Thank God the kids weren't beaten and starved too. Were they?

WG

[outofdafog]

Do you think the psychologist suggested they put pillows and blankets in the cages - of which none were found as I read in a different article.

Can someone really be this stupid? And what possible reason could they give the police that would make any sense. I cannot believe charges have not been filed yet. As if this could somehow possibly be a normal thing with a normal explanation. And we will determine this after the investigation. HELLO HELLO

[Danny]

OHIO

[Bluzeman]

What about Ohio, Danny?

[TheHighWay]

What I'm hearing now is that these were not "cages" but secured sleeping areas, which are actually recommended and used quite frequently for children who routinely "wander" during sleep periods and cause harm to themselves and to others.

These were all "special needs" kids with various types of problems. Most of these kinds of kids spend their whole lives unwanted, in various types of public homes. If providing them "secured" sleeping areas helps them live in a loving home, then they should be sent back. It's a far better environment than they would have otherwise.

Shoot, people get upset when you catch a fish, kill a chicken to eat, or ask your dog to sleep in a crate... who knows what kind of person reported this "abuse" without all the facts? I believe it was an anonymous tipster who made the call.

Maybe these people are truly creeps. But maybe, just maybe, they were doing a good job by these kids. I think we need to wait until the whole story comes out.

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

high way

i agree with you

theere are too many people willing to throw the first stone

[Belle]

The Highway, the pictures I saw on the news did not look like secured sleeping areas. They looked like wooden stalls built with shoddy wood and unsanitary, not to mention extremely uncomfortable. Those kids probably couldn't stretch out completely inside the cages and they surely couldn't stand up in them.

Agreed that the media only tells you what makes for sensationalism, but I think something's amiss in this situation.

[WhiteDove]

Ok update:

Ohio authorities have arrested a couple after finding eleven children locked in

cages inside of the home on Monday.

At night, authorities say, eight of the children were confined in 3 1/2-foot-tall wooden cages stacked in bedrooms on the second floor. The cages were painted in bright, primary colors, with some rigged with alarms that would send a signal to the downstairs when a cage door was opened. One cage had a dresser in front of it, county sheriff's Lt. Randy Sommers said Tuesday.

3X3 cages 3 1/2 ft tall thats the size of a yardstick. And by the way I would not put my dog in a space like that much less children of which some were as old as 14.

Lets talk about fire hazzards blocked with a dresser? --> Again I say what the hell is wrong with these people? Throw the first stone naw I hope they put them in a 3x3 cage for about 5 years when they hauled them off to jail.

[templelady]

We already know what is wrong with these people they foster kids for the money--the more kids the more money--beds, mattresses, blankets, furniture etc etc etc cost money ---cut into the profit margin,

The bigger question is why did Social services only notice this week???

THREE YEARS and no one checked out the bedrooms on a home visit?????

[Pirate1974]

"secured sleeping areas?"

3x3 wooden boxes without even a pillow or any kind of bedding in them, just a rubber mat.

Some of the investigators said the smell of urine in that area was almost overwhelming.

Sounds like a kennel.

[TheHighWay]

Okay... if the situation was that bad, I'm with Templelady: Where the heck were the folks that were supposed to be inspecting this home?!!??

[coolchef1248 @adelphia.net]

i stand corrected

put the foster parents in the cage and see if they like it

*******s!