Naive and Unbelieving

*Important announcement at the end of this post.*

I have the deepest respect and love for the amazing life that Ellie Wiesel lived. He passed away today at the age of 87. For those of you who don't recognize his name, this man not only survived the absolute terror of the Nazi camps but then dedicated his whole life to making sure that the world would never forget. I will never forget his legacy.

It was both intriguing and shocking to me that Ellie had to spend so much time convincing others of what was going on. Even while his friends, family and neighbors were being rounded up into very small communities and started being put onto trains, nobody wanted to believe that they were being sent to labor camps where they would be exterminated. They wanted to believe what they were being told by the Nazi soldiers--that they were going to a less crowded and wonderful new place to live. He begged and pleaded many times with his friends but they didn't want to believe that things could be so awful...

It is absolutely appalling to me that even today, there are many who do not believe that the Holocaust ever happened. Many times, I've thought about why this could be and it is apparent to me that those people do not want to believe that something SO horrific took place in our history--very similarly to how Ellie's Jewish community didn't believe him as he begged them not to step foot on the trains which led them to their deaths.

The reason why I have pondered this topic so much is largely because of what I've been through. I have seen many abused children receive responses of disbelief from outside adults and peers when they try to speak out about what is happening to them. When I first publicly announced that my father abused me and my sisters (to shed light on the truth due to the other theories floating around of why they ran), there was so much controversy, confusion and even disbelief--even coming even from those who had known us since we were young children. It was like people did not want to believe that a member of their family, community and/or church could ever be abusive children--because that thought would be too horrific and would change the way they viewed that person.

One of the most difficult challenges in this case is rallying support from those who's fears are blocking their knowledge of the truth. If you are following this page because of a similar experience in your life, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

Sydney and Dani weren't ever heard, and now they've been with our father for almost 4 months with no contact. 107 days of nothing except for what they said to the GAL on court record: that since being picked up from Slate Canyon, they've been extremely roughed up, traumatized, and STILL want the truth to be heard. They've been put in a program that harms children and have not been allowed to contact us. They have no idea how hard we are fighting, or all of the support they have online.

I believe the public eye has been extremely important, because it has forged a path of transparency on what has been going on in the case, which is something we never had before 2014. However, due to my current criminal case this will be my last post for a little while. Both this blog and my Facebook page are being handed over to a group of supporters, where regular updates will be shared from our newly merged page for Sydney and Dani.

I love you all. My prayers are with you and each of your individual trials. I am so grateful for all of you who have chosen to "like" my Facebook page, follow this blog and proudly show your support for my sisters, these two brave young women who have tried and tried to speak out. Keep their story alive by continuing to participate. Thank you. -Brittany

https://www.facebook.com/WolfertsSistersJustice/

Update on Current Hearings

SYDNEY & DANI SPEAK FOR THE FIRST TIME.
[Sorry in advance for the funny spacing.]
I am going to write a very brief summary of what took place during the May 4th & 5th phone hearings. There have been a lot of things happening over the past month & as soon as I prepare an update, it seems to be overtaken by a new order. I have attached the public audio files of the hearings, which can be found on Utah Family Law TV's YouTube channel. I highly recommend reviewing these audio files if you have ANY question of what went on in the hearings, however if you don't have time then please read the short summary below:

Since it's been a little while--remember that on April 13th Judge Johnson gave my father ONE WEEK to have my sisters placed in a neutral home in Kansas, that the girls should be immediately taken out of the controversial Pruter program, and that they needed an evaluation done by an agreed-upon, legitimate therapist.

Essentially, on May 4th the Court was presented with the information that my mom had neither seen nor heard from Sydney and Dani, despite many attempted supervised phone calls since April 13th. The GAL's document was also given to the court, where she detailed a highly worrisome trail of my father continually blocking her from speaking to her clients, etc. since April 13th. Judge Johnson did not request that Sydney and Dani be removed from his home as she had previously ordered, but she did arrange a time for my sisters to go to their bishop's home that night to have a phone call with their GAL (they would then go back to our dad's home, after speaking to her and knowing it was going to be presented in court and Brian was going to hear it all). It was determined that there would be a hearing the next morning, where the GAL would present what Sydney and Dani said.

On May 5th, the GAL presented what my sisters said, and it greatly concerns me. First of all, they stated multiple times that they wanted to say more, but were afraid of the "negative repercussions". They felt like they couldn't say their truth of how things were going. They said that they had been extremely "roughed up" and "traumatized" when they were taken from Slate Canyon. They said they wanted the "truth to come out" but repeatedly talked about the repercussions if they remained in Brian's home. They said that they didn't want to hurt anyone and wanted our dad and Angie to know they loved them, however they wanted to be taken out of his home NOW. They begged for an evaluation to be done, to prove that they aren't lying (which means many adults must be telling them they're liars). 

They said they also loved me and our mom very much. Sydney told the GAL that the last order that Brian showed her was the 90-day Restraining Order, which hasn't been in affect for months. Sydney had been told (and still believed) that she wasn't allowed to have any contact with her mom or older sister. Syd and Dani believed that they were alone in dealing with this nightmare, and they had no clue that anyone was fighting for them. They are most likely never alone and watched constantly. They even have a counselor at school, who is not a school counselor. They have zero access to the outside world--the only site they can be on is the school website. (In other cases where children are put in this program, the therapists or parents instruct the school that they are not allowed to be on the internet and the school aids in the restriction.)

Jarom Bishop (our father's attorney) made one argument on May 5th: that it is Brian's "constitutional rights" to have Sydney and Dani not be placed (even temporarily) in another home while they're evaluated. Going against the previous order, Judge Johnson ruled that Syd and Dani will still be evaluated, but they will not leave his home.

It gets more horrific: Last week, Jarom Bishop filed to remove the GAL. He and my father succeeded. The only court authority that had met with my sisters, who they trusted, is no longer able to protect them. My father has claimed since the first few hearings that the GAL was biased. This is so far from the truth! He wanted her off of the case because Sydney and Dani's desires do not coincide with his. They are the GAL's clients, and she was doing her job in giving them a voice in court.

My heart is breaking and my head is sorely confused. I have never seen a judge not only do nothing when an order is violated on all accounts, but go back on the order in favor of the parent who committed the violations. Sydney and Dani are now out of school in Topeka, and with our abuser 24/7. We have still heard nothing from them. They were not allowed to call their mother on Mother's Day. I doubt we will be able to wish Sydney a happy birthday in three days. 

I'm disappointed in our legal system and the major lack of hearing children's voices. Yes, it's true that the 4th District Court is more of a divorce court and doesn't typically hear the children's side as much as the Juvenile Court--but we fought and fought in Juvenile, and look what happened. Judge Bartholomew sent them back, without letting them speak or hearing the abuse petition that I've tried to have heard in court since June 2014! The 4th District Court needs to do something before these girls--my sisters--are irreparably harmed.

All of this may be heavy for you to read and soak in. I commend those of you who cared enough to make it to the end. I wish that we had better news to offer. We are not giving up hope and many supporters are sacrificing their lives along with us to search for what can be done. I'm always praying for a better outcome. I know beyond a doubt that Sydney and Dani's case will one day be a great example of how the system fails children. We must continue to pray and work towards a better tomorrow for them!

-Brittany

Click here to listen to the May 4th phone hearing.

Click here to listen to the May 5th phone hearing.

Utter, Eerie Silence

I'm appalled and heartbroken. A lot has happened since my last post. Please read on. (This post is taken from my Facebook page.)

COURT ORDER APRIL 13TH:

I'd like to back up for just a second. There was a TRO signed by the 4th District Court at the end of March, a short time after the Juvenile Court ordered them to Kansas. In this TRO, my father had asked for no contact for 90 days between my mom, me and any other family here in Utah. It had also asked for them to be placed in a reunification program or an "educational process" that is extremely controversial; the Pruter program that we've talked about before. This is what the following hearing was about:

In court on Wednesday the 13th, the 4th District Court dismissed the TRO that was previously signed, and ordered the girls to immediately be placed in the care of a different home and immediately be taken out of the Dorcy Pruter program. The TRO was dismissed on the grounds that the court was not given proper information by my father when it was filed (information such as the fact that he has a recent DCFS finding of abuse). Additionally, my father did not follow the plan that was meant to be followed through Utah and Kansas DCFS with the determination in the ICJ case in Juvenile Court and this was also noted.

As I stated before, the court ordered that Sydney and Dani be immediately removed from our father's unsupervised home and placed with a neutral home that has been background checked. The court also ordered that the girls should be removed from this controversial program right away and meet with an agreed upon, legitimate therapist in order to determine if they even need alienation therapy (which should have happened in the beginning). It was ordered that my mom and I should have supervised supervision/phone calls. I was grateful for this order because it showed that the court was looking out for the best interests of the children.

WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE:

Complete and total silence on our end. We haven't heard one word from my sisters, and my dad is fighting extremely hard to keep it that way. I'm not trying to talk badly about him; the facts speak for themselves:

There was a supervised phone call organized last week for my mom to talk to Syd and Dani, in which my dad's attorney filed a motion to intervene and wouldn't allow it.

My dad is in contempt of court. He has kept them in the Pruter program, refuses to allow the GAL access to my sisters, won't let us talked to them supervised, and has filed a motion to remove the GAL.

Additionally, Sydney and Dani had left certain belongings at Slate Canyon which they specifically informed the workers they wanted to give to my mom. Under no circumstances did they want these items to go to my dad (they included sensitive journal entries). My dad's attorney picked them up and they are in his possession.

Why are children treated as possessions, and not people?? Sydney and Dani are being silenced by their abuser right now. They are 15 and nearly 17. Sometimes I cannot believe how much their voices have been stripped.

Life Since They Were Found

I posted the following in my personal blog in a post titled "Life in General", and decided it would be applicable/good for Sydney and Dani's supporters to read. I invite you to follow my other blog if you so desire. Most of what I write here is factual, including hard evidence and testimony of our father's abuse that has never been heard in court. My other blog has been (and will continue to be) a place where I collect things that I appreciate and value: family, faith, fitness, lifestyle and inspiration. Sometimes I feel prompted or inclined to write about my family's plight, and yesterday was one of those times:

To tell you the truth, I stopped writing here because of some very harsh judgments and internet bullying. It was getting so horrible that anytime I posted something, I was ridiculed and jeered at by my dad and his supporters. I was also simultaneously being physically stalked and cyber-stalked by some of his supporters to the point where I hated going outside because I knew someone was parked watching me and keeping tabs on our cars. It was a difficult time, to say the least... but I'm back and here to stay.

It's a lot of work to keep up on my sister's blog, Facebook page, and also run my own social media platforms while working multiple jobs, but I need to start focusing on my future. My future involves advocating for children's voices in the legal system, continuing to pursue a career in modeling and fitness, focusing on my husband and family, building my art business, and so much more. And much of my future starts here, with this blog. Today I'm writing about something you all know about. Except this time, I'm writing completely from my emotional aspect instead of mostly factual. I'm writing from a point of view that is raw, exposed, and real.

I don't know where to begin. Life has been insane, intense and incredible all at once. In 2015, the Dr. Phil show aired, I started my teaching and art business, married the love of my life, and took a few months off to breathe. It seemed that there was nothing more I could do legally except prepare and wait. I began to think that Sydney and Dani wouldn't be coming back until they were eighteen. There were still a few people set on stalking and accusing me (the Orem Police Dept. storming my wedding, for example), but for the most part life began to feel more normal than I'd ever expected it could. 

The third day of 2016 began very early and alarming, as my husband and I awoke to a call at 3 A.M. informing us that my sisters and mom had been found. A family member of someone they were staying with had made a call to the police. They ended up being right here in a neighboring city, Pleasant Grove. We sat outside the Orem Police Dept. where they were all being held, after having been mocked by the detective on the case in a very unprofessional and horrible way. He told me there was "no way" he would allow me to see them because "I could have visited them whenever I wanted to". He smirked at me when I told him DCFS needed to be involved, and the girls should not be interrogated (and whatever else he was doing) without an attorney or case worker present. So there we were, sitting in our car for hours outside the building where my mom and sisters were being detained. I called DCFS at about 5 A.M. to make sure they were aware of the situation. The sun rose while we waited, while my heart ached so bad wondering if they were O.K. and how they were being treated. It was time to keep fighting for my sisters.

My husband is Diabetic and we needed to go somewhere to grab food. As we ate, we received a call from the Spanish Fork Prison. It was my mom. It had been so long since I had heard her voice, I didn't recognize it at first. Then the tears came flooding down my face as I realized it was her. I cried in happiness and relief because she was back and alive. I also cried because of the injustices she was suffering. She was in prison, prison because she chose to protect her daughters (I now know that she chose to meet up with them after a month when they contacted her in August 2014).  Through the salty tears and stinging eyes, I heard her tell me that she loved me and that we could visit her. I turned to my husband and said in disbelief, "I get to see my mom. Today." I will never forget that moment.

So much happened in those first 24 hours. I still look back on it and can't believe it's not a crazy dream. Since then, we were able to bail my mom out and I was able to visit my sisters for the first time. They were at Slate Canyon, a juvenile prison, for nearly 90 days. It took nearly a month to set up our visitation, but we were able to see them multiple times during their stay and I'm grateful for that. There is much that happened between January and March, but it is painful to discuss. My sisters and I rode on a roller coaster of hope followed by crushing blows. Every time it seemed things were finally going right, the judge would make an order to bypass their protection. For example, on March 17th DCFS found abuse (for the second time) against our father. On March 18th, after promising my sisters repeatedly to let them speak to him in court, the judge simply wrote an order sending them back to Kansas. Our dad placed them in a program that harms children until they think and act a desired way (do some research on the Dorcy Pruter program if you're interested.) Sydney and Dani have been missing for over two weeks and in the hands of my dad and these people, and my mom and I have been utterly crushed by it.

There are many forms of trials. We all go through life dealing with and learning from consequences for our own decisions, and some of us suffer deeply due to other's decisions. My sisters and I have had to live through immense amounts of trials and pain due to someone else's decision. The thing that gets us through the most is our faith in Jesus Christ and the love and faith that our mother has instilled in us since we were very young. Sydney, Dani and I have deep testimonies rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They are extremely spiritually, emotionally and mentally mature for their ages, and I look up to them so much.

I am so grateful for each one of you. My last Instagram post really pushed me to start blogging again, because I didn't realize how much all of you looked forward to seeing my "deeper" side of life and the things I am passionate about. Thank you for encouraging me! As I continue forward, I am excited to partner and collaborate with some wonderful people and reveal what the future holds.

xoxo
Brittany

My Dad Who Terrifies Us

My sisters were released from Slate Canyon more than two weeks ago and presumably (we don't know for certain) sent back to our dad, Brian Wolferts. This was ordered by the same judge who failed to get us a hearing to discuss our abuse petition in 2014, which caused my sisters to run in the first place. 

This is the man that the judge went out of his way to send my sisters to without giving them or me a chance to testify about his abuse. This post contains mature material and I only advise adults 18 and older to continue. The following list contains things my dad has admitted to or been found by authorities to have done up to 2011. I wrote about my sisters and I in third person, in continuation with the direct quotes from therapists. I apologize for the length of this list. It's so long, yet there is so much more that could have been added. (Wouldn't it be nice if none of these applied instead of ALL of them applying to my dad.) 

Brian Wolferts:

• Admitted in a polygraph to a "history of sexual contact with a child".
• Admitted in a polygraph to exposing himself to two young girls when he was 23 (and already married).
• Admitted to masturbating "years later" to thoughts of the older girl (age 11 or 12) as the younger girl (age 6 or 7).
• Was also seen by psychosexual therapist Dr. Ririe who stated "the nature of the potential risk to [Brian's] children being very well emphasized to all of the parties involved, the risk would be considered much lower for his daughters in this situation. Part of this will be as the result of the increased level of vigilance he and others will engage in as well as the fact that his daughters have been well educated and informed on how to potentially report and address any areas of discomfort and in fact have shown a willingness to do so..."
• Has never wanted his daughters to speak to any judge, filing multiple times to deny them testifying about his abuse.
• Was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder.
• Was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
• Was diagnosed with Personality Disorder NOS (dependent features).
• Took Zyprexa (a drug for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia) in 2003 as a "mood stabilizer" to try to deal with his sexual addiction.
• Had 3 years of personal therapy with Dr. Randy Hyde, who then recommended he start therapy with a psychosexual therapist Dr. Roby
• voluntarily did 18 months of sexual offender therapy with Dr. Roby because he knew he needed professional help (but did not complete it).
• He lied to the court that he had completed sexual reorientation therapy which Dr. Roby refuted.
• Said to DCFS in 2004 that he had a chemical imbalance and tried 8 different prescriptions to help his condition, saying he was on Paxil for a year at one point, but it seemed to stop working.
• Said in Nov 2002  he stopped taking medications altogether.
• Held 3 month old Sydney by the ankle then threw her across the room, causing Michelle to have to run across the room to catch her before she hit the ground.
• He told DCFS when asked about this incident that "he may have been playing with her or slightly throwing her in the air and catching her" (I include this because what person admits to throwing a 3 month old baby in the air?! This could actually kill a baby that young!)
• Told DCFS that he has difficulties with himself, emotional disturbances, and felt "undeserving of love".
• Admitted to DCFS that he punched and pushed Michelle.
• Admitted to DCFS that he threw Michelle when she was 7 months pregnant. He said he shoved her, causing her to fall.
• Told DCFS the physical violence that happened happened before Brittany was born. Which means he openly admitted to domestic violence.
• Completed an anger management course, which means he had trouble managing his anger.
• Was found by DCFS in 2005 to have abused Brittany by being violent toward Michelle in front of Brittany.
• His only defense against the Domestic Abuse allegations by Michelle to DCFS were that he didn't think Brittany actually saw him push Michelle down the stairs.
• Admitted to having several "agreed upon meetings" where a girl would show him her privates in the bushes outside his apartment when he was 5, and eventually he pulled down his pants and showed the girl his erection.
• Admitted to using a foam rubber simulated vagina at a friend's house at age 13.
• Admitted his "typical" sexual fantasy is "meeting a relative stranger (woman) and disrobing in front of her and having her become aroused at the sight of my body and penis and engaging in intercourse".
• Admitted to C.Y. Roby in 2003 to having had 5 actual affairs.
• Admitted to DCFS in 2004 to "having affairs with "7 or 8" other women" which went on for approximately 5 years.
• Admitted having 30-40 online affairs by 2003 (after he had been married to Michelle for 11 years already).
• Stated to Dr. Roby that he does have a sexual problem.
• Was fired from Enrich in 2000 for a sexual harassment allegation.
• Was unemployed for much of those years thereafter, while Michelle supported him fully by building her piano lessons business.
• Throughout their marriage he did not consistently hold a job. 
• Called himself a "sex addict".
• Is considered a "sexual deviant" by Dr. C.Y. Roby.
• Has trouble differentiating between ages with regard to his arousal patterns.
• Tended to "underreport his deviant arousal throughout the evaluation [penile plethysmograph], indicating a tendency to minimize his pathology."
• Did not complete the recommended sexual reorientation therapy C.Y. Roby said he needed to complete in order for his daughters to be safe with him outside unsupervised visitation.
• "Appears to have a very strong system for excusing himself for these behaviors that he has done."
• Encouraged his daughters to cut off all ties with their mother.
• Shows a pattern of difficulty with interpersonal relationships stemming at least in part from feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
• Was found by Dr. Roby likely to have trouble developing and maintaining long-term relationships.
• Was found to "appear to be somewhat hypersexualized."
• Showed a "tendency to take somewhat of a victim stance where he appears to say 'woe is me, I'm so bad'.
• Reported to Dr. Roby that he wasn't ever suicidal but that he has "felt at times that my family would be better off without me."
• Forced Sydney with celiac disease to eat gluten over the course of years.
• Had to be given multiple doctor notes to impress upon him the urgency of keeping Sydney gluten-free.
• Has cameras installed to monitor the perimeter of his home at all times in Utah and Kansas (Angie verified this on Dr. Phil).
• Has been unemployed much of his adult life, relying on his spouses to support him, but being highly critical of their efforts at the same time.
• Has engaged in protracted litigation tactics for years and years.
• Told DCFS that Michelle "almost broke his nose".
• Told Facebook and Dr. Phil that Michelle "broke his nose".
• In addition to the above list, on March 17th, 2016, DCFS found my dad to have been abusive to my sisters in his home!

THIS LIST PROVES WHY MY SISTERS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SENT BACK TO HIM.

In addition to the above list of things he did before, my dad has fought multiple times to keep my sisters and me from speaking in court about his abuse. Can there be any doubt why a man like the one described above by therapists and investigators might wish his victims (including my sisters and I) to be unable to reveal his abuse??

This is who my sisters are afraid of. This is who I'm afraid of. I admit this hesitantly because I'm certain he probably gains satisfaction at my admission. This abuser and sexual deviant is who now has my sisters behind closed doors, secluded, isolated, alone--able to retaliate against them in any way he wants. And judging from the list above, and my memories of the abuse he often inflicted on all of us in his house, I am severely worried for my sisters. They are in mortal danger. My sisters have additional harrowing details of his abuse which they have so far been prevented by Juvenile Court Judge Bartholomew from presenting in court. My dad knows what he's done, and what they are capable of telling. Therefore, he seeks to silence them. As you can see, he has every reason to want to silence my sisters.

It is hard to come to terms with the fact that my dad is unworthy of my esteem, as I value family as the most important thing in this life. But I also know that if someone abuses you--regardless of their position in your life--they fail to earn your respect, honor, and trust. My dad is my abuser. He and his supporters continue to abuse me verbally and emotionally all over social media, and they don't care about the welfare of my sisters.

I beg you to help me with my exorbitant legal fees as I attempt to get the truth of his abuse to the proper authorities to protect my vulnerable sisters. The judge has tried to prevent it so far and has helped get my sisters into the custody of this deviant abuser. Please help me! Thank you so much for your continual support!

Lost!

Update:

Every single day, I have been stressing about the location and well-being of my sisters. The feelings of not knowing where they are for 18 months but knowing that my mom was probably with them and taking care of them VS. the feelings of not knowing where they are for 14 days but knowing that they are with people that are hurting them are extremely different. Here's 5 facts that we know as of this moment:

1) The judge dismissed the petition altogether last week (there was supposed to be a hearing for it on April 18th). This takes away the chance of having the girls heard in court and seeking any kind of protection for them.

2) He also dismissed the proposed order from my dad, requesting to shut down the blog and having everyone on social media that is supporting the girls to stop or hand over their accounts, and requested for me to pay his attorney fees for making the order. (This is why I was absent for a while. It's also why the last four juvenile court documents have been removed. I didn't completely understand that even redacted, those are private/different from the public divorce case docs.)

3) When the juvenile judge ordered my sisters back to Kansas, he mentioned that Kansas was to receive Sydney and Dani with a "plan" set in place. There is absolutely no plan. They were sent back quickly and with no oversight. Nobody knows where they are or what is being done to them, not even their GAL or Kansas DCFS (who was supposed to be watching over them). Information has been requested by them and multiple other parties, and my father refuses to respond.

4) The 4th district judge signed an order sending the girls to the reunification program a few days after they were transported from Slate Canyon by the program. In this order, created by my dad and his attorney, he did NOT include information about the recent findings of abuse against himself (as well as many other facts that needed to be included). This program is located in South Carolina.

5) This program is run by people like Dorcy Pruter without licenses and they use brainwashing & threat therapy tactics to force children to say what the paying parent wants. It's that simple and that harmful. I didn't even believe something like this existed until I began researching and seeing the many court cases that are suing for children committing suicide after this program, etc. They typically take the children to a hotel for the first 5 days and separate them, break them down, etc. Then move on to isolate them from the opposite parent and family for 90+ days (they keep adding 90 days if they aren't satisfied. One mother hasn't seen or heard of her children for 230 days and counting). There is much more info I could post about this, but for now please read Hope Loudon's article published on our case. It's very informative!

Thank you everyone for helping the Facebook page grow to 700 likes, and the blog views hit over 232,000! Please keep this story alive. We can't let Sydney and Dani fall through the cracks like so many other children. They need to be given safety and protection, now!

Sunday church with our mom

October 2008: Mom gave them twin braids and they really looked like twins!

2007: Playing piano at grandma's (our mom taught piano)

Forced Back

I just received word that Sydney and Dani are gone.

In last night's visit, they were very open about their thoughts on returning. They were both having a really hard time and talking about shutting down completely. They said things like, "Why are they making us go? Why would they force us? Why would they let people do this to us??" They pleaded for us to keep fighting for them. It was heartbreaking--I keep using this word because it is the only one that applies. To lift our spirits, the three of us decided to sing the hymns "Abide with Me; 'Tis Eventide" and "Nearer, My God, to Thee." Our voices echoed in synchronization and the room filled with the spirit. We all knew exactly when to harmonize with each other, as if we could read each others' minds. Sydney and Dani have the voices of angels. When we finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Sydney said to me, "I really miss singing with you."

The visit ended and we hugged them, telling them that it would somehow be okay. We parted and continued waving to them through the glass doors as long as possible before they disappeared from sight. The moment we were in the lobby I turned to hold my husband and just held him and silently cried, "I think this is the last time we're going to see them."

This morning I awoke from a dream that they were planning to move Syd and Dani at 6 A.M. before anyone had a chance to hear of it. Through this horrible news, I feel blessed to know that Heavenly Father watches all things that happen. I feel that He was preparing me, though it is almost impossible to be prepared for such loss. We received word about an hour ago while preparing for tonight's visit that they were taken at 5:57 A.M. this morning from Slate Canyon. I spoke to someone at the scene who said the girls were extremely upset and not in a good state.

I am absolutely shocked, terrified and utterly disappointed. I think that even when the order was sent by the judge, we believed somehow it wouldn't happen, especially because of the recent DCFS abuse findings. My sisters are unprepared, unprotected and silenced by this order to send them back. The same tag we have used since they were found almost three months STILL applies: ‪#‎LetThemSpeak‬! The fight is not over for their safety and protection.

To those who participated in the last Facebook post: Thank you so much! As I read through each of your comments, they brought tears to my eyes. I am certain that Sydney and Dani will be overwhelmed with strength and support from them. In light of the recent news, we are not aware of where they are and where they are going. But as soon as we are updated, I will do everything in my power to pass the messages along.

Please continue to share the blog so that we can keep finding those who are willing to donate and learn about Sydney and Dani's case. Thank you so much.

Brittany

Ordered to Return

On March 18th, less than 24 hours after receiving the DCFS Report, Sydney and Danielle were ordered back to Kansas. I'm sharing the following letter shared from the Facebook page, "Support Wolferts Sisters -- No More Father's Abuse" on March 20th:

Please share this message far and wide. These legal decisions may not affect you directly today but will have long lasting effects on future cases that could effect you, your children or grandchildren caught in an abuse situation.

Wolfertsgirlstruth.com

On Friday Utah DCFS made a finding of abuse against both Brian and Michelle.

Against Brian: "Emotional Abuse against the father based on the children’s disclosure of negative and critical comments about them and the mother and a harsh environment in the father’s home. Both children expressed that they did not want to return to the father’s home." This is the second finding of abuse by DCFS against Brian.

Against Michelle: "Emotional Abuse against the mother because she encouraged/supported the children on the run for approximately 18 months despite a valid custody order granting the father custody of the children or seeking other legal alternatives to modify that order and/or protect the children which in effect was parental alienation" (for which DCFS has no criteria)

Brian also filed motions in court to prevent Sydney and Dani from testifying. It isn't surprising since DCFS found him to be abusive in the home. Ultimately DCFS made their finding of abuse but it was not without SIGNIFICANT challenges to give them a voice. They have yet to ever be heard in actual court.

The judge has ORDERED Syd and Dani to RETURN to the custody of their ABUSIVE FATHER despite the findings of abuse by DCFS. It was reported that Brian's parents "moved" to Kansas a week and a half before this ruling was made.

So to all the fellow abusers reading this (and there are a number of you) that supported Brian, there you have it. You effectively fought to have those poor girls returned to their abuser. Was this what you wanted? For children to return to a home where they have been and will continue to be abused?

For everyone else that supports the girls we invite you to continue to support. The support is still needed. Our work to ensure the girls well being, safety and security is still in the works and there are still legal proceedings to get through. You can still donate here if possible.

https://www.gofundme.com/savewolfertsgirls

There are laws in place that actually PROTECT abusers. The Interstate Compact Law is one of them. This law dictates the movement of "criminal runaways" which the girls ARE NOT. Under the letter of this law, abuse is simply ignored and the victims are returned like a piece of lost luggage to its "home" which is defined as the domicile of the custodial parent (in this case the abuser).

You would expect that a state agency would step in and trump decisions that put children in harms way. The DCFS mission is "To keep children safe from abuse and neglect..." (Page 5 of the Utah State CAPTA plan). It is still possible that Sean Reyes the Utah State Attny General (email: agcppr@utah.gov) may take the high road and put a stop to this nonsense. It is the responsibility of DCFS and the Attorney General to "keep children safe".

Brian's plans are to place the girls in a 'threat therapy' camp like herehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/controversial-forced-ther_b… or herehttp://www.savingdamon.com/deprogramming-camps.html
These people make determinations for their "therapy" without ever even interviewing them. These same people are often not even licensed therapists or licensed psychologists. Many of these programs have fallen under litigation and heavy lawsuits for abuse.

The girls are shattered right now and terrified. If you feel compelled as a‪#‎mother‬, ‪#‎father‬, ‪#‎parent‬, ‪#‎grandparent‬, ‪#‎friend‬, ‪#‎justice‬ ‪#‎seeker‬, ‪#‎abuse‬‪#‎victim‬, or #abuse ‪#‎survivor‬ then I implore you to email the Utah state Attorney General (Uag@utah.gov) and assertively request that he make an emergency injunction to stop these girls from being forced to live with someone that abuses them. Time is of the essence and there may be as little time as one day.

Please share this message.
Thank you,
‪#‎TeamSaveWolfertsGirls‬
Wolfertsgirlstruth.com

To clarify for those who have come across the case after my sisters were found on January 3rd, coincidentally it is the same judge who ordered them back to Kansas in July 2014. They were not allowed to speak in court at that time, either.  Prior to the recent ruling from March 18th to send my sisters back to their abuser they were asked in court to prepare statements they could share with the court but they were denied that opportunity. My dad filed a motion to prevent them from testifying, and the judge seemed to side with my dad and not allow my sisters to speak.

We were able to visit Sydney and Dani over the weekend, and they are absolutely crushed after hearing of the order later on Friday. While sobbing, they made comments such as, "If I go back, I will never be the same again" and "If I go back, I will never have faith in the system again". They expressed how hopeful they had felt on Friday morning that there was a system set in place to protect children and listen to them, and how they now feel that they will never be heard.

Our hearts are completely breaking over this. We ask that you join in praying for my sisters and sharing their story that has yet to be heard.

Order Granting State of Kansas Requisition Request

This document and others can be viewed on the Documents tab.

Brian's Attempts to Silence Them

While hearings took place every week regarding my sisters' time in detention and the status of the requisition process, service had been attempted multiple times on our father in order to set a date in court for the petition to finally be heard. His attorney didn't accept service and every time a process server went to Brian's doorstep, no one would come to the door. After weeks of attempting service, he was approached with the paperwork while leaving the house over a weekend. It was reported verbally that after Angie threw the papers back at the process server, immediately called the police and reported that she was "accosted with paperwork" when she was simply served by means of residential service. 

Throughout the time that he adamantly avoided the petition (keep in mind that he had seen this document before and knew what we had written inside), our father continued to post online that he "wanted the girls to have a voice" and later that they "had their chance to be heard". Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth. Not only was he avoiding service to postpone the day for them to speak in court, but he was filing motions in attempts to keep my sisters from testifying at all. 

Now there is an order to return my sisters to him in Kansas, and Sydney and Dani STILL have not had a chance to be heard in court.

Wolferts Service Report

These documents and others can be viewed on the Documents tab.

Motion in Limine 3 March 2016

Criminal Case

As my sisters' case has come to a close and the judge has made a final order granting the Kansas Requisition Request, the blog is again able to be updated. Thank you all for your patience throughout this process, and all of your support along the way. I truly cannot express my love and gratitude for every one of you (Sydney and Dani feel the same).

I opened a criminal case on January 28, 2016 against our father Brian Wolferts. As I have spent nearly two years attempting to have our evidence heard in court without success, I decided to take the evidence I had to the police department where we lived with him in Pleasant Grove from 2010-2013. The reason I hadn't done this before is the same reason I did not start filing the day I moved out in May of 2013--Sydney and Dani were in his custody, and he had complete access to punish them for ANYTHING that was uttered against him. 

In the submitted report, I detailed everything that I had witnessed while living in his home. I also included some statements made to me by Sydney and Dani, including the lewdness that was taking place (after I moved out in 2013 he began undressing after our stepmom Angie left for work and forcing them to talk with him while naked), but I also acknowledged that I hadn't seen those things firsthand and asked them to interview Sydney and Dani for their experiences. 

This document was received in response to the filing. A disturbing insight from this report is the fact that they did NOT interview Sydney and Dani for this report. I was informed over the phone that "usually the witnesses are interviewed as part of the process, however in this case they included Sydney and Dani's CJC interview as the interview for the report". Normal protocol seems to have been disregarded and they used an interview that took place the week my sisters were found, after being held under duress by the Orem Police Department and threatened to immediately be sent back to Kansas. Sydney and Dani were terrified, exhausted and silent in this interview--and understandably so.

Another disturbing fact is that they did not consider our father stripping naked and purposefully exposing his genitals to them as "lewdness". It clearly states in Utah Code 76-9-702.5 that this is the very definition of "lewdness involving a child". 
There is mention that the events that took place in our father's home are "disturbing", that Sydney and Dani made "non-specific CJC disclosures that living with their dad would not be 'safe'," and other comments regarding the situation. However in conclusion, the document states: "In short, there is a lot of smoke, but no fire." This cuts me to the core, as this says to all abused children: "Unless you are raped, burned, bruised or dead, no one will protect you from those who are hurting you."

Criminal Investigation Prosecution Screening2016

Recorded Evidence

Click here to read Friday's Daily Herald article titled, "Daughter filing 'hundreds of hours' of audio evidence against Brian Wolferts".

This is the first time it has been made publicly known that there are recordings. I waited to release this information until my sisters were back and in imminent danger of being returned to my father. My intention has never been to destroy my father, but rather to bring to light the truth of why my sisters ran and what they are enduring. This knowledge is absolutely crucial in understanding why they are so terrified to go back to him. I will continue to defend my sisters until they are safe.

After my dad gained custody in May 2010 and continued to relentlessly emotionally drain and abuse us, I knew that our sufferings would never be understood without proper evidence. I'm hopeful that the many, many hours of recordings I took will help show the court the extensive amounts of time that my dad constantly vituperated us, attempted to alienate/brainwash us against any form of relationship with our mother and her family, attempted to destroy relationships between Syd/Dani and I, and much more.

My sisters desperately need help in continuing to fight to be heard. They are currently in imminent danger of being returned to our father and abuser. He submitted his requisition paperwork late last week and a requisition court hearing has been set for March 4th. I started their GoFundMe in August of 2014, but unfortunately most of it has been used trying to get their petition brought to court from July 2014--April 2015. The legal fees continue to climb and I fear that my sisters will be lost due to lack of finance. It is horrible that justice has a price in our situation.

That being said, I am so extremely grateful to all who have donated. I am constantly overwhelmed with gratitude as I see names of family and friends (and anonymous people) donate who are showing their utmost support for Sydney and Dani. I am also very thankful for those who cannot donate but show their support in other ways, by sharing their GoFundMe and any supportive articles and posts. Please click here to "like" and follow my Facebook page updates. I try my best to answer messages and comments sent to both the blog and the Facebook page. Thank you!!

Detention Hearing and Recent Updates

Detention hearing 2/12/16 and other updates: My father, Brian, is in Utah. Sydney and Dani have been in detention for 48 days.

The morning of Friday, February 12th, my mom submitted signed paperwork from the GAL giving her consent for Sydney and Dani to participate in therapy, and my dad was ordered to have his therapy papers for my sisters signed by Tuesday so that the girls could begin working with a therapist from Slate Canyon. We waited to hear if the papers were submitted on time, because the next hearing would be one of two different days, dependent on when he completed them. We heard back Tuesday night that he finished them, so court would be held regular time tomorrow (Friday).

Continuing with updates from the 12th: the GAL had not yet seen any requisition paperwork and stated that it should have been turned in long ago. The attorney representing my dad stated that the requisition had been started/filed and that he was still trying to obtain counsel, however the GAL responded saying that it is "aggravating to their office" that the father's updates on the requisition process haven't been given at all. It was stated by another attorney that if the father has been moving with this process "as fast as he can", it is absolutely ridiculous that the girls have been in jail for 41 days with zero updates.
Dani spoke at the end of her hearing and briefly stated that she doesn't feel like a criminal in Slate Canyon, and although Sydney didn't say anything in court that day, they've both expressed to me how much they appreciate the wonderful teachers and leaders working with them there in our visits together. Our family is very grateful that they are with such a kind and supportive staff there. Although I still believe the girls need treatment in a different type of environment than a detention center, I feel that is a tremendous blessing.

My dad is in Utah and will be (to the best of my knowledge) attending court tomorrow. This was recently discovered as we have spent the last two weeks unable to serve him with the petition in Kansas, due to him being here beyond our knowledge. I'm not sure quite what to expect for tomorrow. I do believe that my father has intentionally withheld updates on the requisition process as some kind of tactic, because if he had truly finished them as he has stated, there is no reason the GAL's office and court had absolutely no word from him. I also believe he may try to show up in court tomorrow with an order from a Kansas judge, even without following proper Utah laws for the requisition process, and try to get my sisters sent to him as soon as this weekend. As I said, I don't know what to expect.
I will keep you all informed as quickly as possible. Not knowing what time court would be for part of this week threw me off a bit. Thank you so much for your support and prayers on the girls' behalf! Please let me know if you have any additional questions I may be able to answer about current happenings, or anything in specific. You can follow my/their Facebook page by clicking here. Please, please keep sharing the blog and their Gofundme for donations to help them have the voice they deserve.