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.