Sunday, March 28, 2010

Utah Adopters Nearly Kill 5-Year Old by Strangulation and Blunt Force Trauma

An Eagle Mountain, Utah woman is behind bars charged with brutally beating and strangling her adopted 5-year-old daughter. The injuries were so severe, investigators say that the girl barely made it through the night, "they did have to remove a portion of her skull in an effort to relieve some of the pressure from the brain swelling," says Spencer Cannon of the Utah County Sheriff's office, "they weren't sure she would survive the night at that point," says Cannon.

Cannon says it all started Sunday morning when Leslie and Gary Erickson brought the badly injured girl to the Eagle Mountain Fire Department, "(the couple) told them (emergency workers) their daughter had fallen and hurt herself," but according to the sheriff's office, it didn't take long for doctors to determine that something very different had happened, "the injuries, the doctors say she sustained blunt force trauma to the head and had injuries that were consistent with strangulation," says Cannon.

Deputies went into the couple's Eagle Mountain home where, we are told, two of the couple's other children displayed signs of abuse as well. Seven of the Erickson's eight children were removed from the home and are in the care of DCFS.

Deputies say other charges are possible, the little girl remains in critical condition at Primary Children's Medical Center.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where are the politicians? Why aren't they writing legislation that requires prospective adopters to undergo extensive psychological exams and background checks? Where are they?

Mirah Riben said...

Dear Anon,

Check out the title of my book: "The Stork Market; America's Multi-Billon Dollar Unregulated Adoption Industry" does thta nswer your queston?

Truth is even the most stringent home studies cannot predict all tragic child abvuse, some of which happens when an otherwise relatively sane person snaps.

What we need to know is the age of this child when adopted and where she was adopted from. A high percentage of children who fall victim to abuse and fatal abuse are internationally adopted. A problem equal to lack of screening is lack of preparedness -- parents not understanding that children adopted from institutions have special needs and don't always bond with them as they'd like.

Mirah Riben said...

Where re the politicians? Giving out tax credits and other benefits to INCREASE adoptions!

The Improper Adoptee said...

Very sad. I hope this little girl will be alright.

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