Abuse

Former Therapeutic Boarding School in Arkansas Faces Lawsuit for Alleged Sexual and Physical Abuse Amidst Troubled History

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ARKANSAS – A former Arkansas religious boarding school is facing another lawsuit for allegations of sexual and physical abuse. The Lord’s Ranch, located in Warm Springs near the Missouri border, operated as a therapeutic facility from 1976 to 2016. The school’s owners, Ted and Shirley Suhl, along with counselor Emmet Alden Presley, are named as defendants in the lawsuit. The Lord’s Ranch claimed to provide services to students with emotional and behavioral issues. However, according to victims, the facility instead became a site of sexual abuse. Individual therapy sessions with Emmet Alden Presley allegedly turned … Read more

Ohio Grand Jury Drops Felony Abuse of a Fetus Charge Against Black Woman After Miscarriage

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Warren, Ohio – A grand jury in Ohio has decided against indicting a Black woman on charges of felony abuse of a corpse following a miscarriage. The grand jury’s decision means that 34-year-old Brittany Watts will not face criminal charges, according to a statement released by the Trumbull County prosecutor’s office. Watts’ attorney, Traci Timko, expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, stating that “justice has been served”. Watts suffered a miscarriage when she was approximately 22 weeks pregnant after being informed by her doctors that the pregnancy was not viable. The incident occurred on September … Read more

Jury Awards $13.3 Million Verdict in Historic Child Abuse Lawsuit: Plaintiff Finds Empowerment and Healing

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White Plains, New York – A Westchester jury has awarded a $13.3 million verdict to a 68-year-old plaintiff who sued under the Child Victims Act. After just over an hour of deliberations, the panel decided to compensate Robert Vavasour for past and future suffering. Vavasour, represented by Jordan Rutsky of Merson Law, filed the lawsuit in 2020 against his late uncle Kevin Shanley. Vavasour had alleged that his uncle sexually abused him during a trip to Europe in the 1970s when he was 14 years old. The abuse continued even after their return. Shanley, who … Read more

Missouri Police Chief Calls for Stronger Animal Abuse Laws After Shocking Video of Dog Trainer’s Mistreatment

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PLEASANT HILL, Mo. – The police chief of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, is advocating for stricter animal abuse laws in the state following the circulation of a viral video depicting a dog trainer mistreating a German shepherd. Matt Fiala, the trainer shown in the video, now faces three municipal charges, with neighbors urging authorities to pursue further state charges. In the two-minute video, Fiala can be seen locking the dog in a crate before repeatedly throwing a green bucket, assumed to contain water, at the confined animal. At one point, he overturns the crate and kicks … Read more