The first pictures of the cages where nine of 11 adopted children were found living have been released, published Thursday in the New York Post.
Officials said the children, ages 1 to 15, were kept in cages at night with alarms that would sound if the kids tried to leave.
Michael and Sharen Gravelle have told authorities that a psychiatrist recommended using the cages so the children didn’t harm each other.
Meanwhile, the Gravelles released a statement through their attorney, David Sherman, about the media coverage of their children. It reads:
“Many of the statements made concerning this matter are inaccurate or exaggerated. Clearly, there is another side to this story. The Gravelles love and miss their children and are devastated and broken-hearted with worry since their children have been ripped away from them. Their motives and intentions were good. They would never harm a child. The children love their parents and want to come home. The children have been out of control and have caused serious harm to themselves and each other. In order to prevent further injury, Mr. Gravelle constructed enclosures around their twin bunk beds to provide a secure space to keep them safe while the parents were asleep at night. These have been characterized as cages, however, that was not their function. They have no lock, latch, or provision for them. There was no cruelty, excessive restraint or risk of harm. The children were free to leave their beds anytime they wanted. There is a simple buzzer on the door, solely as a safety precaution to wake the parents if the children got out of bed at night.”
ONN affiliate WEWS reported the Gravelles said the “enclosures” were installed under the support of a licensed social worker who felt that the enclosures would be helpful because of behavioral problems.
During a news conference, Huron County officials described how the kids tried to escape from the cages.
“We found that the rabbit wire, the wire fencing, was pulled away from the interior of the frame of the cage and ripped. It takes a lot of determination to rip that wire. It’s pretty tough. It was on both ends of the cage, then there were boards nailed over the ripped areas. It looks very much as if someone inside was trying to get out,” Sheriff Dick Sutherland said.
I don’t know if this would qualify for one of Atrios’ “Bobo’s World” posts, but WTF? What kind of nutjobs would do something like this? Really. I’m at a loss for words.