Jehovah’s Witnesses couple accused of neglecting child by feeding only fruits, vegetables and juices

by Sol Reform 30 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  Sol Reform

  http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/jehovahs-witnesses-couple-from-jupiter-accused-of-/nYHx3/
  Posted: 2:50 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, 2013

  Jehovah's Witnesses couple accused of neglecting child by feeding only fruits, vegetables and juices

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  View Larger Louis, ClaudelView Larger Louis, VanessaBy Alexandra SeltzerPalm Beach Post Staff Writer

  A suburban Jupiter couple is in the county jail today after they refused to give their 19-month-old boy the nutrients he needed, causing him to end up in a local hospital's intensive care unit.Claudel and Vanessa Louis face charges of neglect of a child with great bodily harm.Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies were called to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach on June 5 to investigate the child neglect case.

  The 19-month-old boy was admitted to the hospital May 24 after he had trouble breathing.The boy's doctor told the investigating deputy that the boy was severely malnourished, underdeveloped and was in respiratory distress, according to a sheriff's probable-cause affidavit. The boy wasn't able to lift his arms or lift his head or legs.

  He had been deprived of nutrients for so long that he was having problems absorbing electrolytes which could be fatal, the doctor reported.The deputy spoke with a state Department of Children and Families investigator who reported that through her investigation she found that the parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, did not believe in feeding their child anything other than fruits, vegetables and juices.

  The baby stopped breast-feeding when he was 6 months old. Since then, the boy was losing weight and not developing properly. The parents noticed the changes, the affidavit says, but didn't believe in taking the boy to the doctor and tried religious and holistic ways to cure him instead.

  Check back for more information.
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  Shador

  the parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, did not believe in feeding their child anything other than fruits, vegetables and juices.

  Much as I loath WTBT$, in all fairness, the 2 things are not connected. This is not a "belief" based in JW doctrine. Just something personal to these 2 whackjobs.
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  PaintedToeNail

  This sounds really odd, even for JW's!
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  jgnat

  Mistrust of doctors is certainly built in to the lifestyle. Imagine, this is how they think everyone will be eating in the new system. Reality I hope, has been a healthy shock to these two.
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  Sol Reform

  'Updated'

  'While at the hospital, the parents argued and interfered with staff regarding blood transfusions, ventilators and other medications, according to the affidavit.

  "While the parents were trying to do what they thought was best for him, they did not seek medical attention for his obvious state of malnutrition, growth failure, and developmental delay," a doctor with the Child Protection Team said in the affidavit. "This constitutes severe and life threatening medical neglect."

  On Monday, a deputy spoke with the Louises, who said that they noticed the boy was "wasting away" in February. They tried treating the boy with religious and holistic remedies, and viewed a doctor's visit as a last resort.
  Travis Telfair, a West Palm Beach elder with the Jehovah's Witnesses, said the religion does not prohibit those who need medical attention from seeking it.

  "We seek the best medical care that we can," Telfair said.
  However, those who practice the religion are not allowed to accept blood transfusions. Alternatives including a cell saver machine are permitted instead, he said.

  As for the other restrictions the couple alluded to, those are not part of the religion.
  "We do not take that view," Telfair said.

  Claudel Louis, 29, and Vanessa Louis, 28, remained in the Palm Beach County Jail on Tuesday evening, each held in lieu of $5,000 bail.'
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  jgnat

  Nobody in the congregation spoke up?
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  PaintedToeNail

  Didn't anyone at the Kingdom Hall notice that this baby was malnurished? Didn't anyone feel the need to contact the authorities?...oh wait, we mustn't bring reproach on Jehovah's name...
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  label licker

  The "friends" were too busy label licking the nucleus of the congregation (elders, ms, pioneers, ect) to take notice of this family.

  In our last hall, no one knows till this day that there is a family of three young girls and their mother who are homeless. Finally a family took them in that ARE NOT jws. When they lost their home, it was the community that pulled together and helped them move. We did offer to help them but they were afraid of the gossip that would go around in the halls. ( I assure you, not from us)

  Sometimes the not so popular families are forced into situations that might be beyond their control especially if there's mental illnesses. Then,if your constantly told your not doing enough and to focus on the ministry something or someone is bound to be neglected. How many on this site didn't have to focus on the org and give something up in the process?????? Possibly not realiseing you were neglecting or depriveing someone in the family of an education or some family fun or sports ect,,, Maybe taking a yearold child out in sevice all day in a sweltering 35 celcius car and he's balling most of the day and sleeping the rest with at least one throw-up due to heat exhaustion.

  We just don't know what this couple was thinking but being in this religion, we have seen too much. Only god knows for sure and will make it right one day.
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  unstopableravens

  hmm. maybe they were sceintoligist and its a mistake in the article.
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  HappyDad

  I have a hard time beliving that the parents are active JW's. The father has a goatee and if he was a "sincere and active brother" ..... that would not be on his chin. They may have some relationship in the cong. but I doubt that they are really involved in the weekly brainwashing.

  HappyDad