Judith Leekin’s Adoption Fraud and Abuse: “One of the saddest, most pathetic things I’ve ever seen”
July 16, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
Using four different aliases, Judith Leekin adopted 11 children—some with autism and other disabilities—-between 1988 and 1996 in New York City and moved them to Florida in 1998. She received subsidies totaling over $1.68 million for the children’s care. Nine of the children (with “mental” and physical disablities) are now in Florida state custody and one, Shawn Graham (who had Down’s syndrome, autism and sickle cell anemia), is missing.
Leekin pleaded guilty to the fraud scheme in New York in May. Yesterday, she stood before a federal judge in Manhattan and was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. As reported in the July 15th New York Times, authorities say that the children were restrained with plastic ties, kept from school, not provided with dental and other care, and were “victims of physical violence.” The New York Times also details some of the abuses against three of the children, all of whom were autistic and, well, after I read it, I got up and went to look at Charlie sleeping peacefully in his bed, wrapped in fleece blankets and with his blue backpack, photos, and favorite things all around him.
Leekin apparently used the $1.68 million in government subsidies to lead a “lavish lifestyle.” She has pleaded guilty and a sentence of 6 ½ to 8 years was mentioned but the judge, Richard M. Berman of United States District Court, “took the unusual step last week of announcing that he was considering imposing a longer sentence”; after sentencing her on Tuesday, he called her acts “‘diabolical in nature.’”
Leekin faces the possibility of going to prison in Florida for the rest of her life if convicted of 10 counts of aggravated child abuse and other charges in Florida. She is fighting the charges. She has also been ordered to pay $1.68 million in restitution.
And the children?
From the July 16th New York Times:
As for the children, most of whom are now young adults, their futures are uncertain, Howard M. Talenfeld, a lawyer for the children, said in an interview after the hearing.
Some have shown a remarkable resilience, he said. “You’d be amazed,” he said, adding, “They still have an uphill battle.”
But for the ones who are highly disabled, he said: “Unfortunately, they’re in custodial care, in group homes. One is blind. And it’s one of the saddest, most pathetic things I’ve ever seen.”
This case makes me feel ill and disgusted.
One adopted child probably dead, one blind who could once see, all of them treated abominably, cynically used for financial gain, and undoubtedly thwarted from life possibilities that might have been if they had been adopted into decent families or programs. Leekin’s custody makes institutional life look pastoral, and her claim to “homeschooling” smears those families doing such for their children in best effort and good faith.
The damned shame is that it is improbable that the full amount of the the proposed penalty for the behalf of those wronged will be able to be collected, not that that could ever represent real compensation for a childhood in hell or loss of health, sight or life, but I hope that every last remaining dime she has can be squeezed from her as some kind of financial compensation to these young adults. And I hope that she ultimately receives a life sentence with no possibility of parole in FL, and even so, I consider that a light sentence.
The authorities also bear some associated blame for her ability to get away with this for so long, since it was only discovered accidentally. I hope that the ramifications go beyond prosecuting Ms. Leekin to instituting systematic assurances for accountability, safety and well-being of other children.
But I have my doubts, since this NY story was run elsewhere tandemly with the Leekin story,
4 Are Charged with Child Welfare Fraud.
Where to begin?
It would be hard to write a story where adoption, treatment of those with disabilities, and homeschooling were all trashed more than what happened here.
It’s a sad story, where there is plenty of blame to go around. Certainly the bulk lies with Leekin, but there is plenty more to pass on to the public agencies that should have been monitoring this.
We went thru a rigorous process to adopt both of our kids. A lot of somebodies dropped the ball in evaluation and follow up of this situation.
Joe
I just realized my blog name has two i’s so it is autismfamiily.blogspot.com
That explains a lot.
These cases are just terrible. I am part of the Adoption Triad as a birth mother and have thought about adopting or fostering kids.
*shudders* People like this, they really ought to be treated in the same way they treated those poor kids, except worse because the kids were innocent when mistreated.