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