I have to admit this one kind of blew me away. Part of the reason the State Of California was so quick to settle with Jaycee Dugard last week and give her gobs of money was not just that State officials visited the property and did not see Jaycee as had been reported. Nope. It gets much, much worse. During one visit they actually met with Jaycee and one of her children and accepted the fact from the convicted sex offender and criminal that they were his nieces. No followup, no checking up, just an ok, and then probably a long lunch.
Seriously. They talked to her? Yesterday when I read this I thought about why she did not say anything to them at the time. Just saying help or running for it while they were there. Then I realized she was probably unable to do so emotionally. I am actually also surprised that the daughter didn't say something like I am his daughter not his niece.
It is only because someone did take the time later when they were passing out flyers at that University, and did their job that Jaycee was freed. If you are those officers who visited and did nothing, they must feel miserable. Just do your job and a lot of years of pain could have been avoided.
i'm sure it's easy to become complacent in a job like that but this is the best case to illustrate how dangerous that is. you're dealing with sick people---suspect EVERYTHING.
ReplyDeletecan't say i feel sorry for them either---they SHOULD feel bad.
I think this also explains it was she seemed to "accept" her fate while captive and not run away. I don't argue the fact that she was in fear of her life (if she tried to leave) from her abductors brainwashing and for the safety of her daughters, but seeing first hand that the very people who should be connecting the dots to help you escape, don't, well, I can see how that would shake one's faith about the actuality of getting out of there. (For example, like with Jeffery Dahmer. One of his victims actually escaped only to be returned by the authorities back to him (and to his death).
ReplyDeleteI think this also explains it was she seemed to "accept" her fate while captive and not run away. I don't argue the fact that she was in fear of her life (if she tried to leave) from her abductors brainwashing and for the safety of her daughters, but seeing first hand that the very people who should be connecting the dots to help you escape, don't, well, I can see how that would shake one's faith about the actuality of getting out of there. (For example, like with Jeffery Dahmer. One of his victims actually escaped only to be returned by the authorities back to him (and to his death).
ReplyDeleteEven if they said they were his nieces, as I cop I would have to wonder what person would let their child-rapist convict relative watch their minor female children. That to me would be red flag.
ReplyDeleteThe daughter didn't know. The daughter was young. When you're that young you really think that all the weirdness around you is how everything is with everyone. That poor little child was so isolated she never knew there was a "normal" world out there. She thought everyone was living just like she was. She thought it was normal. She probably didn't even know the difference between a daughter and a niece. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteThis breaks my heart. I'm so glad she will be able to live her life now free from the pain of fighting a court battle, and with enough money to get the therapy she will need.
ReplyDeleteWhat RocketQueen said...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Jaycee was brainwashed as were her daughters. Her daughter might have even been more afraid of the officer. Living with that child molester was the only life that child knew, and who knows what crazy things that molester told them about the outside world. Let's not be so quick to say Jaycee or her daughter should have spoken up.
ReplyDeleteOh my Lord. Bad, bad, bad.
ReplyDeleteIt took considerable effort for parole agent to uncover her true identity, while she already was at parole office, where she and her daughters were safe and surrounded by officers. She told them she was "Alyssa" and would stick to her story even separated from Garrido. She later claimed she was from Minnesota and had been hiding for five years from an abusive husband
ReplyDeleteSo there is no wonder she didn't run to policemen and ask for help, when she saw them at Garrido's house
The abuser brainwashes the victim into saying and doing exactly what they're told to do.
ReplyDeleteI feel so bad for Jaycee and her children and feel it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to heal from this unending nightmare.
Now that $20 million settlement seems pretty cheap for the state.
ReplyDeleteI hope the parole officers just don't feel miserable, I hope they were fired. Garrido wasn't supposed to have any contact with minors as a condition of his parole, including being in the company of his "nieces." He should have been busted no matter what story they came up with.
ReplyDeleteAs a California tax payer, I'm fine with her settlement. She would have gotten a lot more if this had gone to trial.
I am at a loss for words...
ReplyDeleteThis revelation is horrifying. They need to start giving an IQ test before they let anyone into the police academy. That poor,poor girl. I mean, if the police can't help you, what can you do? I hope all the people involved are FIRED.
ReplyDeleteI've worked with a lot of cops and parole officers over the years. When I mentioned all this to a few of them, they all shook their heads and then wondered if they themselves may have missed similar situations. They were both outraged and not shocked at the same time.
ReplyDeletePolice work outside of detective investigations is pretty procedural; it is so easy to miss simple things. Parole officers have it even harder; they have caseloads that number into the hundreds and few resources to spread around. In both cases, it's pushing paper, responding to calls and spotting the obvious. It's easy to get exhausted and complacent.
At the end of the day, however, law enforcement, like teaching and the pastorate/priesthood, is a calling. You must always do better. Sadly, for Jaycee, the parole officers involved didn't. Hopefully, God (or whatever other higher power) will forgive them when the rest of us can't.
i don't think it's fair at all to blame Jaycee, victims of sexual assault and this is an extreme case are very tramutized. 99% of us probably would of had the same reaction as her after so many years of abuse, so blaming her or even suggesting that she run is unfair, it's easy to ask that, but not easy to do when put in that situation, i just hope she and her kids will be ok someday
ReplyDeleteHow awful. :(
ReplyDelete