Guest guest Posted December 28, 2005 Report Share Posted December 28, 2005 > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:53:40 -0700 > From: Advocates For Children In Therapy <public@...> > rosa@... > Subject: AT NEWS: Utah's Killpack Trial > > *** AT NEWS *** > > Utah's Killpack Trial > > Mother Found Guilty in Death of Adopted Daughter > > Girl Killed During Attachment Therapy " Intensive " > > ************* > > Over three years after Cassandra Killpack, age 4, of Springville, > Utah, was killed by having a gallon or more of water poured down her > throat, her adoptive parents, Jennete and Killpack, were > finally put on trial for child abuse-homicide. On October 11th, a > jury convicted the mother, but reluctantly let the father off the > hook. (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,630152910,00.html) > > Cassandra was allegedly being treated for Reactive Attachment > Disorder (RAD) at a notorious Attachment Therapy (AT) clinic in > nearby Orem, Utah > (http://www.childrenintherapy.org/victims/killpack.html). She was > killed at home over the weekend in the middle a " Two-Week Intensive. " > During Intensives, AT therapists typically put children through a > grueling round-the-clock cycle of Holding Therapy, bizarre > psychodramas, and AT parenting methods. The latter often include the > use of aversives and AT " paradoxical " techniques, such as requiring a > child who sneaks food to gorge on such food (or eat nothing but that > food for days). During the two weeks, children typically live with > " therapeutic parents, " undergoing rigorous compliance training when > not in " therapy, " but Cassandra was allowed to return home during her > Intensive. > > Testimony at trial suggested that Cassandra had been forced to drink > a huge amount of water because she sneaked a sip from a sibling's > drink. Before trial, it had been publicly suggested by the Killpacks > and their attorneys that such punishment had been approved by the > Cascade Center for Family Growth where Cassandra was being treated. > The Cascade's principals denied the charge, claiming that prosecutors > had cleared them of any wrongful involvement in the case. > > Surprisingly, neither side called Cascade's therapists to the witness > stand during the trial, and the whole issue of Attachment Therapy was > largely ignored. Instead, the defense appeared to rely ultimately on > the usually ineffective blame-the-child strategy. After trying to > raise some doubt about the cause of death, the defendants claimed, in > effect, that Cassandra drove them to extremes with her difficult > behavior. > > The split verdict was agonized over in the jury room. According to > interviews given shortly afterwards by several members of the jury > (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635153973,00.html), jurors had > little trouble determining the mother's guilt, but couldn't find a > way to convict the father. They were convinced of 's abuse of > Cassandra, but didn't think he was involved in forcing water on > Cassandra, the direct cause of her death. They wished he had been > charged with child abuse separately from homicide. " If [he] had been, > the verdict would have been different. Killpack would have > been guilty of child abuse, " one declared. > > Pending sentencing, four other children continue to live with > and Jennete Killpack. > > The judge in the case will sentence Mrs Killpack on January 6th. She > will receive a prison term of one to 15 years, though she could > receive probation for all or part of her prison sentence. > Indications in the press > (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635154622,00.html) are that > her lawyer will argue at sentencing that Cassandra drove her mother > to extreme measures; he has faulted the probation department for not > considering the impact that Cassandra's diagnosis of RAD had on > Jennete's behavior. (Note that the official Reactive Attachment > Disorder diagnosis is characterized by a child's behavior being > either withdrawn, or inappropriately friendly with strangers, hardly > behaviors which could reasonably excuse homicide.) > > A strong penalty for Jennete Killpack can send a message to many > other adoptive and foster " Awesome Moms " in Utah and around the > country who, much like her, have failed to extricate themselves from > the AT cult. Today, many children continue to endure not only > Holding Therapy (aka Rage Reduction and Compression Therapy), but > AT's abusive parenting techniques based largely on humiliation, > deprivation, excessive exercise, and isolation. Cassandra might > still be alive if Jennete had rejected the harsh approach to > parenting she found in the materials given to her by a > known supporter of Cascade. > > (For information about parenting methods, see: > http://www.childrenintherapy.org/proponents/thomas.html) > > For *AT News* readers who want to voice their opinion about this > sentencing, they can send the judge a letter at: Judge > Laycock, 125 North 100 West, Provo UT 84601. > > =================== > > *AT NEWS* sends the latest news/opinions to activists and allied > organizations about the many abusive, pseudoscientific, and violent > practices inflicted on children by the fringe psychotherapy cult > known as Attachment Therapy, aka " holding therapy " and " therapeutic > parenting. " Attachment Therapists claim to work with our nation's > most vulnerable of children, e.g. minority children, children in > foster care, and adoptees. AT NEWS is the publication of *Advocates > for Children in Therapy.* For more information on Attachment Therapy > and a film clip demonstrating AT, go to the Utah activists' site at > http://www.kidscomefirst.info and ACT's website: > http://www.childrenintherapy.org. > > Contact: , RN > Executive Director > Loveland, CO > rosa@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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