Custodial dad arrested for abusing 9- and 11-year-old sons; DCF takes custody, but what happened to mom? (Gainesville, Florida)

Read this account carefully, and it is evident (though NOT spelled out clearly) that dad UNNAMED DAD is custodial and remained custodial despite "numerous" child abuse reports. All he had to do was complete a (meaningless) "case plan" and he got the kids back.

This is a very typical story for Florida, which has a long and entrenched tradition of favoring fathers "rights" and discounting the rights of children and mothers. And notice that the mother has been totally erased from this story. We are given absolutely no indication of whatever happened to her or how the father took full possession of these kids. This is a very important question to ask in cases like this, as chances are VERY HIGH that whatever treatment he has dished out to the kids, he dished out to her. So is she deceased? If so, from natural causes? Is she "missing"? That should raise red flags automatically. Or was she outgunned by this POS in family court? Of course, the media maintains full silence on these matters, so we have no idea who enabled this violent father to maintain abusive control over these kids for so long.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20141004/ARTICLES/141009811

Dad arrested; DCF takes custody of sons

By Cindy Swirko
Staff writer

Published: Saturday, October 4, 2014 at 5:19 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, October 4, 2014 at 5:19 p.m.

A Gainesville man was arrested Friday on a child abuse charge after a medical exam of his two sons found marks consistent with their statements that the dad hit them with cords, according to an Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrest report.

The two boys, ages nine and 11, and their older brother were taken from the home by the state Department of Children and Families, the report states. The report states that DCF has numerous child abuse reports on the father.

On Friday, DCF got a report from a school staff member about possible abuse in the home. DCF interviewed the boys at the home and was told that the father, age 65, hit them with a black cord.

The children were taken to the Child Protection Team for a medical examination, which found an abrasion, including broken skin, on one boy and red marks on the other.

Sheriff's officials reported the boys said they were hit with the cord repeatedly because they did not clean their room. The children had been removed from the man's care in 2010 after he was arrested on a charge of physically abusing a different child. They were returned to his custody after he completed a case plan, the report states.

Under questioning by sheriff's officials Friday, the father said he took medication that made him "out of it" and that he didn't remember hitting the children.