Ruby Franke, the mother of six behind the family YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” has been charged with six counts of felony child abuse by the Washington County Attorney in Utah, a spokesperson for the attorney’s office confirmed to NBC News on Tuesday.
Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested last week after law enforcement found Franke’s 12-year-old son emaciated and with open wounds and duct tape on his wrists and ankles. The boy had climbed out of a window of Hildebrandt’s home and ran to a neighbor house for help, according to a probable cause affidavit acquired by NBC News.
Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was found at Hildebrandt’s home in a similar malnourished condition, according to the affidavit. Officials said the condition of the children was so severe that they were transported to a local area hospital. Franke’s other four children were taken into the care of Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services.
Hildebrandt was also charged with six counts of felony child abuse. Each count carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000, the county attorney told NBC News in an emailed statement.
Missing one lunch is hardly abuse. I forgot to grab my lunch on many occasions when I was a kid and nobody even called my parents about it. I was fine.
That doesn’t make her not a bad parent for all the other shit she did but if it was just this one thing it wouldn’t be that bad.
There are some things that should never be used in punishment. Food, safety/security, water, sleep, education, housing, and love. She broke several of those rules when she refused to bring her kid lunch.
Child protection caseworker and previous child of abuse here: this is absolutely correct. Punishment should NEVER involve removal of a basic necessity. It should always amount to removal of a want, not a need. Taking away dessert, access to video games etc. are the only acceptable forms of punishment. This follows research that shows that taking a child’s basic necessities from them doesn’t improve behaviour, it merely adapts their attachment style to dysfunctional.
Wanted to add, most elementary schools have a policy that requires students to eat lunch. Kids don’t learn on am empty stomach.
Forgetting it accidentally or not having any food does not make you a bad person. Purposely withholding food from someone in your care without the means to get their own certainly is abusive.
I agree, she shouldn’t have her kids taken away for making them skip one meal. It’s bad, but not horrific Tied up and injured on the other hand…
Were you six years old?
Roughly, and my parents worked an hour away from the school too so it’s not like they could have brought me a lunch in time anyway if they’d been notified.