3. 2nd post by RedState Feminist.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Addyson Rosenthal: Press Release

Dear Friends,

A while back I blogged a case in which Mom lost all visitation because she brought to the court her child's outcry of sexual abuse at the hands of her own father. It has been over a year since this child, ADDYSON ROSENTHAL, has seen her mother, JANAY. Her mother never did anything to harm her in any way, in fact, she tried her best to protect her and keep her safe. She has urgent need of funds in order to appeal her ruling. You can donate here. This is the most recent press release regarding the situation.

PRESS RELEASE-- Justice For Children
 

On June 28, 2005 at 2:00 pm, Addyson Rosenthal was removed from her mother for the first time in her young life. For reasons unknown, Dallas County Judge Susan Rankin and her associate Scott Beauchamp removed 5 year old Addyson from her mother.  For the past year, this little girl has been left in the sole custody of a man who has been abusing her sexually, emotionally and; physically: her father, JAMIE ROSENTHAL. Until the time of Addyson’s reports of abuse, JAMIE ROSENTHAL had never sought primary custody, nor ever stated any concern for Addyson’s welfare while under her mother’s constant care.

Janay Bender Rosenthal and JAMIE ROSENTHAL separated after a 4 year marriage marked by Jamie’s violent, controlling behavior, forced sex from his wife while she held their newborn daughter, and his disturbing sexual anal fetishes. Two months after JAMIE ROSENTHAL started to have exclusive overnight access to Addyson, and four months before the divorce became final, Addyson reported that her father had been sexually inappropriate with her; she subsequently made other disclosures to her mother and counselors, describing grossly inappropriate knowledge of, and contact with, her father’s anus and penis. These statements came from Addyson herself, and have been documented by her mother and various therapists. Remarkably, Addyson remains in her abuser’s sole custody, despite ample, objective evidence of sexual abuse – evidence the family court continues to ignore.

Justice for Children (JFC) and their general counsel, Tom Burton, has taken on this case by representing Addyson’s mother and protective parent Janay Bender Rosenthal. Addyson’s mother has suffered what amounts to a de facto termination of her parental rights.  The bias and corruption of the court system is shocking in its decimation of basic civil rights of both mother and daughter. Judge Rankin ruled that Janay had “alienated” Addyson from her father, apparently by believing that Addyson’s statements were true and taking reasonable steps to protect her daughter and document the reports of abuse. Rankin further stated that it was Janay’s “enmeshment” with her daughter that led to the supposed alienation and Janay’s insistence that Addyson was telling the truth.

The language in Rankin’s ruling is based on an erroneous belief that child sexual abuse is rare; it tracks the flawed logic of an invalid and scientifically unfounded syndrome, Parental Alienation ‘Syndrome’ or PAS. Proponents of PAS argue that child abuse is very rare, that children are not credible, and that a child’s outcry is invalid and improperly motivated – allegedly at the urging of an ‘alienating’ parent. The fallacy of PAS is its circular logic, in that it assumes what it seeks to prove (child abuse did not occur).

The claim that children are rarely abused is flatly contradicted by facts and undisputed statistics: nationwide, one of out of every 10 boys, and 2 out of every 10 girls, will be victims of sexual abuse. Due to bureaucratic inefficiency and staggering caseloads, CPS often fails to validate or ‘substantiate’ reports of abuse. The status of a case as unsubstantiated does not imply falsity, but rather incompetence and system failure. As an example, more than half of the children who are murdered in our country have been previously known to the systems designed to protect them. We will never know the number of children who are molested, but don’t die, who were known to the system. No one should have the false notion that child abuse is rare –this all too common reality goes unseen by an unaware public. Nor are the courts and child welfare professionals immune from ignorance.

Indeed, a 12 member jury, unaware of Addyson’s harsh reality due to the judge throwing out all mothers evidence, experts, and even the D.A. who came to testify that she believed that the father had molested this child, gave JAMIE custody based on incomplete evidence and  the overt bias of Judge Rankin. The jury chose to believe a comfortable lie rather than the uncomfortable truth. JAMIE ROSENTHAL is the undeserving beneficiary of an incompetent child welfare system, which gave him sole custody of his young victim, cutting off her access to any protection or justice. A tragic irony in this case is that Addyson's mother was accused of “coaching” her child to report abuse. In point of fact, “coaching” is often used to keep children from reporting true abuse, as opposed to fabricating false allegations. Child abuse victims are known as children of the secret for this very reason.

Beyond injustice, Judge Rankin has added insult to injury by requiring Janay to post a $50,000 cash bond before she will even be allowed to see Addyson. Janay was persecuted and put on trial for attempting to protect her child, and the persecution continues. JFC is requesting a new trial by a new judge, and a thorough, competent criminal investigation into the alleged abuse. Imagine how Addyson feels in the face of an uncaring and unjust system that should have protected her.