F
fx
Guest
Caged Kids Case Nears End, Vasquez’s Fate in Judge’s Hands
Wicked Witch or Fairy Godmother?
Thursday, May 3, 2007
By Nick Welsh (Contact)
http://www.independent.com/news/2007/may/03/caged-kids-case-nears-end-vasquezs-fate-judges-han/
When Judge Frank Ochoa goes behind closed doors later this week to
decide the fate of Sylvia Vasquez — the Santa Barbara childcare provider
who pleaded guilty to locking two adopted children in makeshift cages
and a third in his room — he’ll decide whether she’s a modern-day
Cruella De Vil or a heroically misguided fairy godmother struggling to
cope with the insurmountable psychological problems suffered by three of
her four adopted children.
But in a way, Vasquez has already won, no matter what Ochoa decides on
that score. The judge already struck a deal with Vasquez over the
strenuous objection of prosecuting attorney Joyce Dudley. In exchange
for Vasquez pleading guilty, Ochoa agreed not to send her to state
prison. Instead, Vasquez is now looking at a maximum sentence of only
one year behind bars in county jail, much of which she has already
served. To the extent Ochoa hoped his deal might have obviated the need
for a prolonged and emotionally wrenching trial, he’s been sorely
mistaken. Vasquez and her attorney, Robert Sanger, have spent the better
part of the past four weeks asking Ochoa to reduce to misdemeanors the
four felonies to which Vasquez pleaded no contest. While such hearings
are exceptionally common, they typically last no longer than 10 to 15
minutes. In terms of duration, the Vasquez “trial” has already set a new
county record — and it’s not over yet.
The past week has clearly belonged to the prosecution. One after the
next, prosecution witnesses took to the stand and described Vasquez as a
“Mommie Dearest” on steroids: imperious, dictatorial, and withholding.
They included three of Vasquez’s former daycare workers, two child
welfare workers, the former foster parents of two of Vasquez’s adopted
children, and even Vasquez’s own nephew, who now works for CALM (Child
Abuse Listening and Mediation) counseling abused children and their
families. So vivid and disturbing were their recollections that a
Kleenex box had to be kept at the witness stand at all times. Four of
the last five prosecution witnesses found themselves overcome by tears
and struggling to compose themselves as they testified. “In my six years
as an investigator, these are the worst conditions I’ve seen,” declared
child welfare worker Carolina Serrano, who was the first one in the door
when police raided Vasquez’s home January 5. It was so bad, Serrano
said, that she needed to get help afterward. “It was detrimental to all
concerned.”
As her critics described it, Vasquez was generous to a fault with her
favorite daughter, a 13-year-old violin prodigy of uncommon beauty and
talent, but her other three — a 15-year-old boy and two younger
girls — were locked either in cages or in their rooms. Their diets
consisted of peanut butter, mayonnaise, or butter sandwiches morning,
noon, and night. Denied access to the bathroom, two were forced to
urinate and defecate in buckets kept in their quarters. The clothes of
these two reeked of urine and feces. And when one — an 11-year-old
girl — got too dirty, she was given a shower in the yard, while still
wearing her clothes.
But even where Vasquez’s pampered prodigy was concerned, there were
troubling sexual overtones that wouldn’t go away. Yes, the girl enjoyed
the run of the house, ate whatever she wanted, and slept in a large room
with a queen-sized bed and a closet stuffed with gowns. But the prodigy
also received injections designed to stunt her hormonal development and
keep her forever prepubescent. And then there were all the racy
photos — and painting — depicting the young girl nude and sporting a
decidedly come-hither look.
Troubled Children
In the weeks prior, Vasquez and Sanger presented a host of friends,
supporters, and psychological experts who testified that if Vasquez
resorted to extreme measures by locking up her children — which Vasquez
has conceded was wrong — she was responding to extreme conditions.
Psychological experts testified that three of the adopted children had
been diagnosed with RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder), which afflicts
people who are denied the opportunity to bond with adults while in their
infancy. Those with RAD can seem normal but terrorize their immediate
family members behind closed doors. Often people with RAD exhibit
sexually aggressive behavior. Vasquez said she had to lock up her oldest
adopted child, now a 15-year-old boy, because he had tried to have sex
with the prodigy — his biological sister — as well as one of the family
cats. Likewise, she had to lock up her next-to-youngest daughter to
prevent similarly outrageous sexual outbursts from occurring.
Was Sylvia Vasquez a victim of extreme circumstances, or did she
actually create them?
One of the experts testified that RAD is so overwhelming an affliction
that little can be done to help. That Vasquez maintained the good
fight — even while resorting to admittedly dubious measures — is
testament to her essential good intentions. Additionally, they sought to
portray the Vasquez family, however dysfunctional, in less macabre hues.
The family went out to dinner twice a week — Vasquez’s friends
noted — attended church services regularly, and went on family outings
to the beach, Disneyland, and Sea World. A devoted mother, Vasquez made
sure her adopted charges received musical instruction. Her 15-year-old
son had been diagnosed as mentally retarded when she adopted him, they
claimed, unable to tie his shoes. Now, under Vasquez’s tutelage, he’s
become an avid reader.
Some of the prosecution witnesses actually bolstered Vasquez’s claim
that her children were extremely troubled. For example, the prior foster
parents of the two oldest children — a San Bernardino County Sheriff and
his wife — testified that the kids had been perfectly normal and
wonderful children for the three years they lived together as a family.
But they also acknowledged that the two had such serious food issues
that they would eat dog food out of the trash or gorge themselves until
they puked. They also suggested that Vasquez could go out of her way to
be hurtful. Shortly after Vasquez had adopted the kids — nearly 10 years
ago — the couple claimed she asked them in a phone call, “Will they
forget me as fast as they’ve already forgot you?”
But likewise, Vasquez may have been the most compelling witness for the
prosecution. While Vasquez testified how much time and effort she spent
looking for professional help, she also admitted under cross-examination
that she never acted upon the recommendations of any of the experts she
consulted. Vasquez never took any of her children to see a therapist.
Even her nephew, Alfonso Garcia, testified that he repeatedly urged her
to seek therapeutic help. Now working professionally to help a family
dealing with a RAD-afflicted child, Garcia stressed that the solution
requires an intensive therapeutic approach. He even took his aunt to
attend a seminar hosted by one of the foremost experts on the disease.
Still, she never sought therapy either for her children or herself.
Garcia noted that the expert strongly disapproved of many of the methods
that Vasquez said she deployed to deal with her children’s condition,
locking them in cages or in their rooms being the most blatant. Had he
known what his aunt was doing, Garcia conceded, he would have felt
compelled to call Child Protective Services.
The Vasquez hearing should continue at least through the end of the week.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA/CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEIR
"FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
Wicked Witch or Fairy Godmother?
Thursday, May 3, 2007
By Nick Welsh (Contact)
http://www.independent.com/news/2007/may/03/caged-kids-case-nears-end-vasquezs-fate-judges-han/
When Judge Frank Ochoa goes behind closed doors later this week to
decide the fate of Sylvia Vasquez — the Santa Barbara childcare provider
who pleaded guilty to locking two adopted children in makeshift cages
and a third in his room — he’ll decide whether she’s a modern-day
Cruella De Vil or a heroically misguided fairy godmother struggling to
cope with the insurmountable psychological problems suffered by three of
her four adopted children.
But in a way, Vasquez has already won, no matter what Ochoa decides on
that score. The judge already struck a deal with Vasquez over the
strenuous objection of prosecuting attorney Joyce Dudley. In exchange
for Vasquez pleading guilty, Ochoa agreed not to send her to state
prison. Instead, Vasquez is now looking at a maximum sentence of only
one year behind bars in county jail, much of which she has already
served. To the extent Ochoa hoped his deal might have obviated the need
for a prolonged and emotionally wrenching trial, he’s been sorely
mistaken. Vasquez and her attorney, Robert Sanger, have spent the better
part of the past four weeks asking Ochoa to reduce to misdemeanors the
four felonies to which Vasquez pleaded no contest. While such hearings
are exceptionally common, they typically last no longer than 10 to 15
minutes. In terms of duration, the Vasquez “trial” has already set a new
county record — and it’s not over yet.
The past week has clearly belonged to the prosecution. One after the
next, prosecution witnesses took to the stand and described Vasquez as a
“Mommie Dearest” on steroids: imperious, dictatorial, and withholding.
They included three of Vasquez’s former daycare workers, two child
welfare workers, the former foster parents of two of Vasquez’s adopted
children, and even Vasquez’s own nephew, who now works for CALM (Child
Abuse Listening and Mediation) counseling abused children and their
families. So vivid and disturbing were their recollections that a
Kleenex box had to be kept at the witness stand at all times. Four of
the last five prosecution witnesses found themselves overcome by tears
and struggling to compose themselves as they testified. “In my six years
as an investigator, these are the worst conditions I’ve seen,” declared
child welfare worker Carolina Serrano, who was the first one in the door
when police raided Vasquez’s home January 5. It was so bad, Serrano
said, that she needed to get help afterward. “It was detrimental to all
concerned.”
As her critics described it, Vasquez was generous to a fault with her
favorite daughter, a 13-year-old violin prodigy of uncommon beauty and
talent, but her other three — a 15-year-old boy and two younger
girls — were locked either in cages or in their rooms. Their diets
consisted of peanut butter, mayonnaise, or butter sandwiches morning,
noon, and night. Denied access to the bathroom, two were forced to
urinate and defecate in buckets kept in their quarters. The clothes of
these two reeked of urine and feces. And when one — an 11-year-old
girl — got too dirty, she was given a shower in the yard, while still
wearing her clothes.
But even where Vasquez’s pampered prodigy was concerned, there were
troubling sexual overtones that wouldn’t go away. Yes, the girl enjoyed
the run of the house, ate whatever she wanted, and slept in a large room
with a queen-sized bed and a closet stuffed with gowns. But the prodigy
also received injections designed to stunt her hormonal development and
keep her forever prepubescent. And then there were all the racy
photos — and painting — depicting the young girl nude and sporting a
decidedly come-hither look.
Troubled Children
In the weeks prior, Vasquez and Sanger presented a host of friends,
supporters, and psychological experts who testified that if Vasquez
resorted to extreme measures by locking up her children — which Vasquez
has conceded was wrong — she was responding to extreme conditions.
Psychological experts testified that three of the adopted children had
been diagnosed with RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder), which afflicts
people who are denied the opportunity to bond with adults while in their
infancy. Those with RAD can seem normal but terrorize their immediate
family members behind closed doors. Often people with RAD exhibit
sexually aggressive behavior. Vasquez said she had to lock up her oldest
adopted child, now a 15-year-old boy, because he had tried to have sex
with the prodigy — his biological sister — as well as one of the family
cats. Likewise, she had to lock up her next-to-youngest daughter to
prevent similarly outrageous sexual outbursts from occurring.
Was Sylvia Vasquez a victim of extreme circumstances, or did she
actually create them?
One of the experts testified that RAD is so overwhelming an affliction
that little can be done to help. That Vasquez maintained the good
fight — even while resorting to admittedly dubious measures — is
testament to her essential good intentions. Additionally, they sought to
portray the Vasquez family, however dysfunctional, in less macabre hues.
The family went out to dinner twice a week — Vasquez’s friends
noted — attended church services regularly, and went on family outings
to the beach, Disneyland, and Sea World. A devoted mother, Vasquez made
sure her adopted charges received musical instruction. Her 15-year-old
son had been diagnosed as mentally retarded when she adopted him, they
claimed, unable to tie his shoes. Now, under Vasquez’s tutelage, he’s
become an avid reader.
Some of the prosecution witnesses actually bolstered Vasquez’s claim
that her children were extremely troubled. For example, the prior foster
parents of the two oldest children — a San Bernardino County Sheriff and
his wife — testified that the kids had been perfectly normal and
wonderful children for the three years they lived together as a family.
But they also acknowledged that the two had such serious food issues
that they would eat dog food out of the trash or gorge themselves until
they puked. They also suggested that Vasquez could go out of her way to
be hurtful. Shortly after Vasquez had adopted the kids — nearly 10 years
ago — the couple claimed she asked them in a phone call, “Will they
forget me as fast as they’ve already forgot you?”
But likewise, Vasquez may have been the most compelling witness for the
prosecution. While Vasquez testified how much time and effort she spent
looking for professional help, she also admitted under cross-examination
that she never acted upon the recommendations of any of the experts she
consulted. Vasquez never took any of her children to see a therapist.
Even her nephew, Alfonso Garcia, testified that he repeatedly urged her
to seek therapeutic help. Now working professionally to help a family
dealing with a RAD-afflicted child, Garcia stressed that the solution
requires an intensive therapeutic approach. He even took his aunt to
attend a seminar hosted by one of the foremost experts on the disease.
Still, she never sought therapy either for her children or herself.
Garcia noted that the expert strongly disapproved of many of the methods
that Vasquez said she deployed to deal with her children’s condition,
locking them in cages or in their rooms being the most blatant. Had he
known what his aunt was doing, Garcia conceded, he would have felt
compelled to call Child Protective Services.
The Vasquez hearing should continue at least through the end of the week.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA/CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEIR
"FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
