The Wizard of Oz knows injustice when he sees it, and he has no reluctance about revealing injustice and the perpetrators of injustice upon women and children.

Let your imagination go a little here. You are an investigator for an organization designed to protect children. You have been asked to investigate the case of Herbie and Lars Slobodow , who reside with their father in the state of Florida in the United States. They live in the Tampa, Florida area. The reason for this request for an investigation is that the two boys have in the past revealed sexual abuse by their father. Now someone unidentified has made a report in Florida, in Hillsborough County, where resides the man I accuse, and in his custody are his sons.

Well, da-amn! A thing like that cannot go uninvestigated, now can it? So you schedule a fact-finding visit. Of course you do!

In fact, you arrange to go to the very home where these children live with the father they have accused of abuse. Rather apologetically, you will explain to this father than a complaint has been received; he and his sons are to be investigated and assessed.

On 24 March, 2006, at 5:35 p.m., you arrive at the residence. You are accompanied by a Deputy from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, one Deputy LaValee, who will write his own report of the assessment to accompany your report of the assessment.

Lars arrives about the same time you do, home from an excursion to Adventure Island with friends. Herbert is at a friend’s house for a sleepover, but the father agrees to pick him up and bring him home for an interview about the sexual abuse allegations.

The father, whom you call “Arlen,” states that he and his sons have lived in Florida for about three years. He likewise states that they previously lived in Maryland and Washington D.C. The father tells you that the biological mother of the boys is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring to commit murder against him. [YOU, OF COURSE, HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THERE WAS NO MURDER ATTEMPT, BUT AN ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING WHICH OCCURRED DURING A SCUFFLE FOR THE GUN. NOR DO YOU HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING THAT AT MERE MOMENTS BEFORE THIS ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING, THIS MAN WAS NAKED IN BED WITH A NAKED FIVE-YEAR-OLD SON.]

The father further states that the biological mother “had her best friend try to kill him in front of his children" in 2002. [YOU, OF COURSE, HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE SO-CALLED BEST FRIEND OF HIS WIFE, WHOM HE ACCUSES OF TRYING TO KILL HIM WAS ACTUALLY A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY. SHE HAD ENTERED HIS HOUSE TO SEARCH FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED THE DISCLOSURES OF THE BOYS WHEN THEY TOLD OF THEIR FATHER’S SEXUAL ABUSE. NOR DO YOU HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE CHILDREN’S MOTHER HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE EVENT UNTIL AFTER IT WAS ALL OVER. FURTHER, YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE WOMAN WITH THE GUN, MARGERY LANDRY, WAS NOT JUST A FRIEND OF THE MOTHER AND A FAMILY FRIEND—BUT A  FRIEND OF ARLEN SLOBODOW AS WELL. YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING ABOUT THE $20,000 SLOBODOW HAD BORROWED FROM LANDRY—AND NEVER REPAID.]

More from Arlen Slobodow: He informs you that reports of sexual abuse began only after divorce proceedings and a custody battle began. Those out-of-state abuse reports, he says, are unfounded. [YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THESE REPORTS HAD BEEN ONGOING, FROM THE TIME THE BOYS MADE THEIR EARLIEST DISCLOSURES—DURING A SEPARATION BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE, BUT BEFORE THE DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS AND THE CUSTODY BATTLE. YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT WHEN ARLEN SLOBODOW SAYS ABUSE REPORTS OUT-OF-STATE WERE UNFOUNDED, HE IS LYING TO YOU—ACCORDING TO A VARIETY OF MEDICAL PEOPLE, SPECIALISTS IN THE FIELD OF CHILD ABUSE, AND THE TREATING PSYCHIATRIST FOR THE TWO BOYS.]

Next Arlen Slobodow informs you that he has no criminal record history. [AGAIN, YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING HE IS LYING. HE WAS THREE DIFFERENT TIMES CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR VIOLATING A PROTECTIVE ORDER HELD BY HIS THEN-WIFE.]

Slobodow tells you that he has full custody of the boys. [I’M GETTING TIRED OF WRITING “YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING”—BECAUSE YOU CERTAINLY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN TIME TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH ON THESE ISSUES. SLOBODOW DOES NOT HAVE FULL CUSTODY; HE HAS SHARED CUSTODY. NEWMAN, EVEN IN HER PRISON CELL, RETAINS A SHARE IN THE CUSTODY.]

During your interview with Slobodow, he takes time out to call the G.A.L. attorney in Maryland, Alan Town. Town then requests to speak to you. You advise him that a report of abuse has been received in Florida and that you and your department are “well aware” of previous on-going history with the family. You advise Alan Town that he  will be contacted at a later date as a collateral. [YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, MR. TOWN, DESPITE HIS OFFICIAL POSITION AS AN ATTORNEY ASSIGNED TO LOOK OUT FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THESE TWO CHILDREN, HAS BEEN, IN FACT, VERY FRIENDLY WITH THE SUBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION, ARLEN SLOBODOW…THAT TOWN AND SLOBODOW HAVE BEEN OBSERVED, SEATED TOGETHER IN FRIENDLY, LAUGHING CONVERSATION AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, TIMES AT WHICH SUCH CONVERSATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE, SINCE THE G.A.L. SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE CHILDREN, RATHER THAN ON MAKING A FRIEND OF ONE OF THE PARENTS. YOU ALSO HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THIS G.A.L. BILLED NEWMAN FOR COUNTLESS HOURS THAT HE NEVER SPENT WITH HER.]

So…having no way of knowing these things, you take it all at face value and begin your interviews with the children. Your written report makes no mention of the father’s whereabouts at this time, so one may assume you allow him to remain in the room.

So you begin: Lars says that he is 10 years old and that he lives with his brother, father, two geckos and one hamster. He takes care of the hamster and his older brother takes care of the two geckos. [Once again, YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT AT LEAST TWO OF THESE TINY CREATURES ARE ABOUT TO FACE DEATH BY “SQUISHING.”]

You ask about “good touch and bad touch” because you are, after all, investigating allegations of sexual abuse. Lars tells you, oh, no…there has been no type of “bad touch” by his father or anyone else. [YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THIS LAD HAS PREVIOUSLY REVEALED ANAL PENETRATION AND OTHER SEXUAL ABUSE, INCLUDING HIS FATHER BITING HIS PENIS. YOU ALSO HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT HE IS TERRIFIED OF HIS FATHER AND WILL SAY VIRTUALLY ANYTHING HE THINKS HIS FATHER WANTS SAID.]

Lars tells you that he likes Florida a lot. He tells you that the weather isn’t as cold as it is in Maryland. He states that he likes playing on the computer, playing with his hamster or going swimming in his pool. He adds that he has a lot of friends who come over to his house or he goes to their house. He says he has family, like his paternal grandparents who live in Florida and come to visit them. [HE DOES NOT MENTION HIS MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, WHO ALSO LIVES CLOSE, BUT IS NOT PERMITTED TO SEE OR TALK TO THE BOYS.]

You ask about discipline. Lars replies sweetly, because this is, after all, one sweet little boy, that his father will tell him to go to his room for a while. Then he [the father] will come in his room and talk to him about why whatever he did was wrong. Same for his brother. You note that Lars presented as an articulate white male with no visible marks of abuse. [DUH! YOU SURELY UNDERSTAND THAT MARKS OF SEXUAL ABUSE ARE, AS A RULE, HIDDEN BY CLOTHING. SURELY YOU DID NOT PERMIT YOURSELF AN EXAMINATION OF PENIS OR ANUS, WHICH ARE TWO OF THE PRIMARY SITES THE CHILDREN HAVE REFERRED TO IN DISCLOSING ABUSE.]

You note, further, that the child was polite and answered all your questions. You note that his facial expressions made an impression on you that he has been through this type of questioning numerous times. [YOU DO NOT, HOWEVER, STATE THE OTHER POSSIBILITY, NAMELY THAT THE CHILD IS WELL COACHED ON HOW TO ANSWER SUCH QUESTIONS AND MAINTAINS  LITTLE EXPRESSION FOR FEAR OF GIVING AWAY THE TRUTH.]

You have completed your simple assessment of Lars, an assessment which is probably also inefficient because of information you lack or information you fail to verify. You move on to the older boy, Herbert, who is usually called Herbie. Herbie tells you that he is 12 years old and in 7^th grade at Williams Middle School. He says he lives with his father, one brother, 3 geckos and one hamster. He says he takes care of all the geckos. You establish his understanding of good and bad touch [YOU DO NOT SEEM TO PERCEIVE THIS KIND OF QUESTIONING AS UNSOPHISTICATED AND LACKING IN APPROPRIATENESS FOR A BOY OF TWELVE WHO IS EXCEPTIONALLY INTELLIGENT.] and you apply these understandings to the allegations that have been made. The boy denies any type of bad touch by father or anyone else. The child states all this must be connected to his mother who is “kinda weird.” He stated he has asked his mother in the past why she does these types of things, but she never answered him. Herbie tells you that his mother has accused his father of all kinds of things that the father has not done. Herbie states that he likes living in Florida because it isn’t cold. [YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT HERBIE LOVED OUTDOOR COLD-WEATHER SPORTS, BOTH ICE SKATING AND SKIING.]

Herbie informs you that he has a lot of friends that he spends time with either when he goes to their house or they come to his house. He states that his grandparents who live in Florida come to visit and spend time with them. [AGAIN, NO MENTION OF HIS MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER. AND IT DOES NOT SEEM TO STRIKE YOU THAT THE WORDS FROM THE MOUTH OF THIS OLDER SON BEGIN TO SOUND ALMOST LIKE PARROTING OF THE WORDS SPOKEN PREVIOUSLY BY HIS YOUNGER BROTHER.] Herbie states that he likes to play video games, play tag outside with friends at night or use the computer.

The question of discipline now comes up with Herbie. Herbie says his father will make him go to his room for a while. Then the father will come back and talk to him about it. Herbie adds that if that does not work, then his father will ground him by not allowing use of video games for about a week or two. The same for his brother. [IS THIS TOO PERFECT TO BE REAL? FOR SOME STRANGE REASON, IT SOUNDS ALMOST WORD-FOR-WORD LIKE THE THINGS HIS YOUNGER BROTHER STATED. ARLEN SLOBODOW NEVER GETS ANGRY? YOU, OF COURSE, HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT HIS EX-WIFE HAD TO OBTAIN A PROTECTIVE ORDER AGAINST SLOBODOW BECAUSE HE HAD AN “ANGER PROBLEM” AND DID THINGS LIKE SHOVE HER DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT HE SHOVED ONE OF HIS SONS DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THERE WILL BE A BEATING FOR HERBIE IF HE STRAYS FROM THE PRESCRIBED SCRIPT.]

Herbie states that his brother “gets punished” more than he [Herbie] does. Herbie thinks this is because he is just younger. [AS AN EXPERT, SUPPOSEDLY TRAINED IN EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT OF SITUATIONS WHERE CHILD ABUSE HAS BEEN REPORTED, YOU SURELY KNOW THAT THIS STATEMENT IS A RED FLAG.]

Again you state that the boy’s facial expression made an impression on you that he has been through this type of questioning numerous times. [AND YOU MAKE NO MENTION OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS IN ITSELF IS A RED FLAG, WHICH SHOULD HAVE SIGNALED TO YOU THE POSSIBILITY OF ABUSE.]

You close your report with a note that the residence is a 4 bedroom/2 bath home with no visible hazardous conditions, adequate food [EXCEPT, OF COURSE, WHEN SLOBODOW DEPRIVES ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF FOOD, AS HE IS PRONE TO DO ON OCCASION. BUT THEN, YOU’D HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT, WOULD YOU? AND YOU MAKE NO MENTION OF WHETHER THE HOME HAS ANY STAIRWAYS DOWN WHICH ARLEN SLOBODOW MIGHT THROW ONE OF HIS CHILDREN.] and furnishings. Both children have their own bedrooms.

[AND OF COURSE YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THIS FATHER, ARLEN SLOBODOW, HAS BEEN KNOWN TO SLEEP NAKED WITH ONE OF HIS SONS, A BAG OF SEX TOYS HANDILY BY THE BED AND A CHILD’S SHOES AND SOCKS ON THE FLOOR WHERE THEY WERE DISCARDED BEFORE THE CHILD, ALSO NAKED, CLIMBED INTO THE BED WITH HIS NAKED FATHER. SEXUAL ABUSE MUST BE HELL TO PROVE—ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON’T SEEM TO WANT TO PROVE IT AND LIMIT YOUR QUESTIONING TO THE SUBJECT “GOOD TOUCH AND BAD TOUCH” FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH AND OLD ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH THE REALITY OF WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW.]

Ptooee!

[IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ON 27 MARCH, 2006, AT OR ABOUT 10:10 AM, FLORIDA TIME, “CPIS RCVD CALL FROM KAY WINFREE PROSECUTOR IN MONTGOMERY CTY AT 240-777-7392 STD SHE WANTS DCF TO KNOW THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN ANYTHING SUBSTANTIATED TO PRIOR CLAIMS OF SEXUAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE BY THE FATHER.”]

[WHAT ON EARTH WAS A PROSECUTOR FROM ANOTHER STATE DOING, CONTACTING CHILDREN’S SERVICES IN FLORIDA AND INTERFERING IN THEIR INVESTIGATION? IS THIS LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES? IS IT MORAL? IS IT ETHICAL? ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THAT PROSECUTOR’S HAVING SHOWN IN COURT CRIME SCENE SLIDES WHICH INCLUDED, ALONG WITH LOTS OF BLOOD, A BAG OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE SEX TOYS NEAR THE BED AND A SMALL PAIR OF SHOES AND SOCKS BESIDE THE BED. FURTHER, WE KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING, THAT FATHER AND SON WERE NUDE IN THE BED WHERE THEY SLEPT TOGETHER. FURTHER, WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF SEXUAL ABUSE PROVIDED IN MARYLAND BY PHYSICIANS, PSYCHIATRISTS AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE. BUT YOU HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING ANY OF THAT, DID YOU? NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE SO UNETHICAL AS TO WRITE AND INTERFERE IN YOUR INVESTIGATION.]

Ptooee!

I think it’s time for what that lady in the U.S. has neglected in her blogs, a look at child molesters and their behavior. I’ll save that for my next entry, however.