Amish family values?

[samhexum]

Two Amish brothers in Missouri admitted having sex with their 12-year-old sister and getting her pregnant — but managed to avoid jail time because a prosecutor feared they’d “be eaten alive” in prison. Yeah, so what? The abuse came to light after a doctor alerted authorities that the girl was pregnant just after she turned 13 — and she said that four of her brothers, two of them also minors, had been having sex with her. The family that lays together stays together?

 

The eldest two — Aaron Schwartz, 22, and 18-year-old brother Petie — D'ya think the others are named Bernie and Sherwood? admitted to police that they had sex with her at least half a dozen times each at home in Seymour, starting when she was only 12. The sister ended up giving birth just two weeks ago — and “one of the brothers is the father of this child,” Webster County Prosecutor Ben Berkstresser said. Ooh! A cliff-hanger!

 

The brothers were initially both charged with six counts of statutory rape and one count of incest. But those charges were reduced to third-degree child molestation, a Class C felony. They then reached a plea deal last week for 15 years in prison — but suspended to keep them out of jail.

 

The prosecutor insisted it was a “different relationship” than if a “parent in a position of authority sexually abused or exploited their child,” and said the convicts were “very immature.”

 

“These two young men would’ve been eaten alive in the state prison system,” Berkstresser said in defending his decision.

 

He also said that the Amish community “had punished all four of the boys” and “made it clear that this punishment was very severe.”

 

“All of them had sexual relations with their sister,” the prosecutor said of the four brothers. “There is no question this occurred,” he said. It was not immediately clear if any action was taken against the two brothers who are minors, and it was not clear how old they are.

 

The convicted brothers must complete the Missouri Sex Offender Treatment Program as well as 100 hours of community service — and write a letter as part of their punishment.

 

“Both young men must write a letter to me, explaining how they are going to protect their children from this happening to them,” Berkstresser said. “They have 30 days to get this letter to me.” And if their penmanship isn't impeccable, they'll get 40 lashes with a wet noodle!

 

The prosecutor accepted that his decision would likely receive harsh backlash. “Previously, I’ve been very harsh on the Amish when they’ve been charged with crimes of this nature,” he insisted to the paper.

 

He said the brothers “will go to prison” if they do not complete a sex offender treatment program within a year.

 

“This won’t be easy for either of them to do, but I’ll assure you they will face the consequences if the program isn’t completed,” the prosecutor said. “And that consequence will be prison.”

 

 

Opinions? Comments?

[+ RJD]

[+ FrankR]

Two Amish brothers in Missouri admitted having sex with their 12-year-old sister and getting her pregnant — but managed to avoid jail time because a prosecutor feared they’d “be eaten alive” in prison. Yeah, so what? The abuse came to light after a doctor alerted authorities that the girl was pregnant just after she turned 13 — and she said that four of her brothers, two of them also minors, had been having sex with her. The family that lays together stays together?

 

The eldest two — Aaron Schwartz, 22, and 18-year-old brother Petie — D'ya think the others are named Bernie and Sherwood? admitted to police that they had sex with her at least half a dozen times each at home in Seymour, starting when she was only 12. The sister ended up giving birth just two weeks ago — and “one of the brothers is the father of this child,” Webster County Prosecutor Ben Berkstresser said. Ooh! A cliff-hanger!

 

The brothers were initially both charged with six counts of statutory rape and one count of incest. But those charges were reduced to third-degree child molestation, a Class C felony. They then reached a plea deal last week for 15 years in prison — but suspended to keep them out of jail.

 

The prosecutor insisted it was a “different relationship” than if a “parent in a position of authority sexually abused or exploited their child,” and said the convicts were “very immature.”

 

“These two young men would’ve been eaten alive in the state prison system,” Berkstresser said in defending his decision.

 

He also said that the Amish community “had punished all four of the boys” and “made it clear that this punishment was very severe.”

 

“All of them had sexual relations with their sister,” the prosecutor said of the four brothers. “There is no question this occurred,” he said. It was not immediately clear if any action was taken against the two brothers who are minors, and it was not clear how old they are.

 

The convicted brothers must complete the Missouri Sex Offender Treatment Program as well as 100 hours of community service — and write a letter as part of their punishment.

 

“Both young men must write a letter to me, explaining how they are going to protect their children from this happening to them,” Berkstresser said. “They have 30 days to get this letter to me.” And if their penmanship isn't impeccable, they'll get 40 lashes with a wet noodle!

 

The prosecutor accepted that his decision would likely receive harsh backlash. “Previously, I’ve been very harsh on the Amish when they’ve been charged with crimes of this nature,” he insisted to the paper.

 

He said the brothers “will go to prison” if they do not complete a sex offender treatment program within a year.

 

“This won’t be easy for either of them to do, but I’ll assure you they will face the consequences if the program isn’t completed,” the prosecutor said. “And that consequence will be prison.”

 

 

Opinions? Comments?

Good lord those haircuts! It hurts my eyes! I won't be able to un-see it...

[Guest]

Good lord those haircuts! It hurts my eyes! I won't be able to un-see it...

The judge should also need to go to a counseling program, or be taken off the bench. As for those haircuts, I'm sure some of you are old enough to remember That Girl! and Peggy Fleming....

[marylander1940]

Two Amish brothers in Missouri admitted having sex with their 12-year-old sister and getting her pregnant — but managed to avoid jail time because a prosecutor feared they’d “be eaten alive” in prison. Yeah, so what? The abuse came to light after a doctor alerted authorities that the girl was pregnant just after she turned 13 — and she said that four of her brothers, two of them also minors, had been having sex with her. The family that lays together stays together?

 

The eldest two — Aaron Schwartz, 22, and 18-year-old brother Petie — D'ya think the others are named Bernie and Sherwood? admitted to police that they had sex with her at least half a dozen times each at home in Seymour, starting when she was only 12. The sister ended up giving birth just two weeks ago — and “one of the brothers is the father of this child,” Webster County Prosecutor Ben Berkstresser said. Ooh! A cliff-hanger!

 

The brothers were initially both charged with six counts of statutory rape and one count of incest. But those charges were reduced to third-degree child molestation, a Class C felony. They then reached a plea deal last week for 15 years in prison — but suspended to keep them out of jail.

 

The prosecutor insisted it was a “different relationship” than if a “parent in a position of authority sexually abused or exploited their child,” and said the convicts were “very immature.”

 

“These two young men would’ve been eaten alive in the state prison system,” Berkstresser said in defending his decision.

 

He also said that the Amish community “had punished all four of the boys” and “made it clear that this punishment was very severe.”

 

“All of them had sexual relations with their sister,” the prosecutor said of the four brothers. “There is no question this occurred,” he said. It was not immediately clear if any action was taken against the two brothers who are minors, and it was not clear how old they are.

 

The convicted brothers must complete the Missouri Sex Offender Treatment Program as well as 100 hours of community service — and write a letter as part of their punishment.

 

“Both young men must write a letter to me, explaining how they are going to protect their children from this happening to them,” Berkstresser said. “They have 30 days to get this letter to me.” And if their penmanship isn't impeccable, they'll get 40 lashes with a wet noodle!

 

The prosecutor accepted that his decision would likely receive harsh backlash. “Previously, I’ve been very harsh on the Amish when they’ve been charged with crimes of this nature,” he insisted to the paper.

 

He said the brothers “will go to prison” if they do not complete a sex offender treatment program within a year.

 

“This won’t be easy for either of them to do, but I’ll assure you they will face the consequences if the program isn’t completed,” the prosecutor said. “And that consequence will be prison.”

 

 

Opinions? Comments?

 

Hypocrisy our nation sin but in this case on steoroids!

 

Reminds me of the Duggar family!

 

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[+ WilliamM]

There are wonderful Amish communities near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I enjoy visiting. They are more house and cart than Cadillac.

 

They enjoy meeting all visitors regardless of religion, age or color.

[Guest]

Since this is old news, I imagine you know that within three days they made a technical violation of parole and are being sent to prison for 15yrs. I suspect the judge and prosecutor reconsidered after the backlash

[+ azdr0710]

Since this is old news, I imagine you know that within three days they made a technical violation of parole and are being sent to prison for 15yrs. I suspect the judge and prosecutor reconsidered after the backlash

 

What was the parole violation (if anybody knows)? Contact (platonic/family) with the victim?

[Guest]

What was the parole violation (if anybody knows)? Contact (platonic/family) with the victim?

Apparently it wasn’t even that close. But alas, it gave the judge a path back to where he already should have been.

[Guest]

There are wonderful Amish communities near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I enjoy visiting. They are more house and cart than Cadillac.

 

They enjoy meeting all visitors regardless of religion, age or color.

Dude, you really love going off on tangents. The OP was about an aberrant legal ruling in an incest case, and you start talking about the friendliness of Amish communities near Lancaster PA?

[+ WilliamM]

Dude, you really love going off on tangents. The OP was about an aberrant legal ruling in an incest case, and you start talking about the friendliness of Amish communities near Lancaster PA?

Ha ha, Dude.

 

You do realize there are other sides to Amish life, I hope. Occasionally some people come off as bullies by accident..

Edited November 12, 2020 by WilliamM

[wsc]

The prosecutor accepted that his decision would likely receive harsh backlash. “Previously, I’ve been very harsh on the Amish when they’ve been charged with crimes of this nature,” he insisted to the paper.

 

Damn! How often do [these Amish} do crimes of this nature?!?

[Guest]

The judge should also need to go to a counseling program, or be taken off the bench. As for those haircuts, I'm sure some of you are old enough to remember That Girl! and Peggy Fleming....

 

 

 

https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/that-black-girl-a-big-break/2868040

[orville]

This is all-new, and surprising to me.

I thought Amish were all for family ties, but not so tight.

Do they have Rumspringa to avoid this?

If I was the Police I would investigate the whole family.

Usually, the abused end up being abusers too.

[phildallas]

I grew up near annother Amish community in Missouri and my family often hired an Amish man for odd jobs who a few years after I left home, went to prison for molesting underage granddaughters. I and my family were shocked.

 

I wonder if the strong patriarchal nature of Amish families has something to do with this sort of behavior.

 

 

I don't disagree with the prosecutor for the original plea agreement. Young Amish men can be very nieve and unsophisticated. I think he's probably right, prison would probably be the end of them. If the local Amish community really did punish them harshly, Amish are rather well practiced at punishing those that break community rules, I don't think the prosecutor was wrong. But it looks like the young men didn't take the prosecutor seriously.

[phildallas]

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/19/797804404/investigation-into-child-sex-abuse-in-amish-communities

[+ sync]

[Danny-Darko]

There are wonderful Amish communities near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I enjoy visiting. They are more house and cart than Cadillac.

 

They enjoy meeting all visitors regardless of religion, age or color.

 

Thanks for mentioning that. I never knew that they were so open to interaction with "the English"! I was under the impression they kept to themselves for the most part as not to contaminate themselves with outside culture and world like the Hasidic Jews. I'd love to see them and their culture up close but I never thought that was possible!

[Guest]

Thanks for mentioning that. I never knew that they were so open to interaction with "the English"! I was under the impression they kept to themselves for the most part as not to contaminate themselves with outside culture and world like the Hasidic Jews. I'd love to see them and their culture up close but I never thought that was possible!

Different communities have different rules. In Lancaster County, being Amish is a very commercial endeavor. More conservative and isolated communities tended to have moved west. They politely arrive in small communities with “cash,” acquire blocks of land to farm, and try to isolate considerably more than you’d see in PA

[Danny-Darko]

Different communities have different rules. In Lancaster County, being Amish is a very commercial endeavor. More conservative and isolated communities tended to have moved west. They politely arrive in small communities with “cash,” acquire blocks of land to farm, and try to isolate considerably more than you’d see in PA

 

I see. Thanks for explaining this to me. I must pay a visit to Lancaster PA then one day when this plague is over.

[Guest]

I see. Thanks for explaining this to me. I must pay a visit to Lancaster PA then one day when this plague is over.

I was wrong to characterize it as an East/west thing. But the Lancaster Amish are among the more liberal groups