To: Scrapps who wrote (7433 ) 10/23/1997 10:05:00 PM From: Glenn D. Rudolph Read Replies (2) | Respond to
Rescued girl improving in shelter
United Press International - October 23, 1997 17:46
%STATE %TX %GIRL V%UPI P%UPI
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 23 (UPI) - Police say they're awaiting more
information from state investigators before deciding to file charges in
the case of a 9-year-old girl rescued from a filthy, rat-infested home.
Police spokesman Mike Burgess said today, ''the first thing to look
at is the immediate health and welfare of the child.'' A court hearing
Oct. 31 will determine whether the girl will remain in state custody.
Child Protective Services officials say the girl, who cannot speak,
is getting adjusted to new surroundings at an undisclosed shelter. They
say she couldn't sleep at first, but calmed down and surrendered her
dirty nightgown for clean clothes.
The agency says it's one of the most unusual cases they've seen - a
young girl who rarely, if ever, went outside the home she shared with
her mother, grandmother and uncle.
The girl was said to be somewhat traumatized by her first brush with
the outside world. Caseworkers say after she was taken into protective
custody on Monday, everything was a distraction to her, such as cars and
other people.
A battery of exams are underway to help investigators understand the
girl's silence and behavior.
The investigation began after an unidentified caller reported seeing
the girl in a window but never outside. The caller also reported strong
odors from the house, where rats were found to be nesting in old couches
and wondering about.
The girl's grandmother said Wednesday she had done her best to take
care of the child, and that she loved the girl and wanted her back.
Officials are trying to track down the girl's father and piece together
her history.
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Copyright 1997 by United Press International.
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