>Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 13:28:20 -0800 >To:Dale >From:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Alex Constantine) >Subject:Organized Child Sexual Assault Case > >Organized Child Sexual Assault Case > >enquirer.com >Saturday, March 13, 1999 > >Girl testifies about abuse >-------------------------------- >She says mom told her to be quiet while stepdad >assaulted her > >BY WALT SCHAEFER >The Cincinnati Enquirer > >BATAVIA - A 13-year-old girl testified on >videotape Friday that she was sexually abused by her >parents, relatives, neighbors and many acquaintances >of her family. > >The jury of nine men and three women in >Clermont Count Common Pleas Court watched intently >as the girl talked of her brothers being forced to >hold her down while her stepfather abused her >"almost every day." > >Her 9-year-old brother, who also testified >on tape, said his father threatened to kill him if >he did not help. > >The girl said that when she screamed, her >mother told her "to be quiet and take it like a >woman." She said her mother also helped hold her >down and touched her sexually. The 34-year-old woman >is the defen dant in the rape and felonious assault >case. > >The Cincinnati Enquirer is not naming Bethel >woman to protect the identities of the children. The >girl and her younger sister are under the care of >psychiatrists. > >The younger girl's father committed suicide >in 1997 after being questioned about molesting his >stepdaughter and daughter. The father of the older >girl has been convicted of raping her and is in >prison. > >The week-old trial will resume Monday in the >courtroom of Judge William Walker and is expected to >continue through most of next week. Defense attorney >Michael Kennedy said he expects to call some of the >alleged perpetrators to testify. > > The 13-year-old girl testified that she was > forced to have sexual relations with a landlord > about once a week. "It's how we paid the rent," she > said. She and her sister, now 7, were told to go to > a neighbor's trailer, where the neighbor would > choose one of them to abuse and pay the family in > "cigarettes and dope." > > Under questioning from Clermont County > Prosecutor Daniel Breyer, the girl said she once > fled home for two days because of the abuse, but she > returned because she was hungry and cold. The > younger girl also was subjected to sexual abuse by > her father, her sister testified. > > The mother is charged with six counts of > rape and four counts of felonious assault. > > The defense is hoping to convince the jury > that social workers and/or foster parents - possibly > unintentionally - put ideas into the children's > minds that led them to make up tales of abuse. > > The charges, filed in 1997, stem from > incidents in the early to mid-1990s and came to > light through an investigation by county social > service agencies and information the girls told the > foster parents. The parents permitted sexual > encounters with 22 other people, investigators > allege. > > Mr. Breyer said the rape charges involve > both girls, while the felonious assault charges > involve psychological suffering of the woman's four > children, including her two sons. > > > -------------------------------- > > > >
