Cliff Notes
- Four individuals, including a husband and wife, have been arrested for allegedly abusing nine children in Florida, who were reportedly kept in cages and mistreated.
- Officials state that the adopted children were subjected to harsher treatment than their biological siblings, lacking basic knowledge of their identities.
- An investigation was prompted by a report from a church member, revealing severe abuse, including physical punishment and coercion to conceal their circumstances.
Florida: Arrests after children ‘kept in cages under bunk beds and sprayed in face as punishment’ | US News
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Four people have been arrested after being accused of abusing nine children in Florida.
Officials allege they were kept in cages made of plywood under bunk beds and sprayed in the face with vinegar as a form of punishment.
Husband and wife Brian and Jill Griffeth – along with Dallin and Liberty Griffeth – have now been charged with aggravated child abuse.
The children are aged between 7 and 16, and it is believed four had been adopted.
According to the local sheriff’s office, the adopted children were “treated unfairly compared to the biological children” – and did not know their full names or birthdays.
Prosecutors claim they were beaten with canes, given non-prescribed medication, and ordered to lie about what was happening in their Fort White home.
When investigators visited the property, the adopted children were working on chores while the biological siblings played or watched TV.
All of the children have now been removed from the property.
An investigation began after someone at their local church, who is legally required to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect, raised concerns.
A few days before the four were arrested, one of the children was also caught with a functioning electronic stun gun at a church camp.