Dearbhail McDonald: We're blind to the new Magdalene scandals happening in our midst

[Alison J Stevens]

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/dearbhail-mcdonald-were-...

[anne house]

Christopher L House and Anne P House

Origin of the court case: McKinney Texas – Colin County

Narrative

Anne and Chris had four children: two from Anne’s first marriage and two younger children. The younger children were a set of twins, Chris’ second cousins. The twins were originally removed from their parents care and adopted by Ron and Merry Sloan (Chris’ sister and brother in law). At the request of both Ron and Merry, Chris and Anne were fostering the twins. After nearly 4 years, Chris and Anne decided that it was time to make the relationship permanent via an adoption.

Anne and Chris had already had many run-ins with child protection services, but had never had an accusation considered sustainable until Anne oldest son (in 2005) accused Chris of sexual abuse. During Grand Jury testimony, Anne’s eldest son recanted his accusation. The case was no-billed and the charges were dropped. CPS still maintained it was sustainable. In 2009, Chris, Anne and all four children were living in Plano, Texas. 

During the course of arranging for the adoption of the two younger children, it became apparent that Ron and Merry Sloan were receiving monies from the State of Texas – stipends for the children Chris and Anne were raising. Merry Sloan had misled Chris and Anne regarding these monies. Since the stipend came from the state, once the adoption became final, the stipend to Merry would stop.

 Merry Sloan and her Ex Husband Marcus Pryor who was a CPS investigator had informed the Kindergarten teacher of one of the younger children that Chris was a child molester. That teacher made no less than 7 calls to CPS, many of those calls from her own home, apparently against the policies of her school district. None of those allegations were substantiated. Then the little girl made allegations against Chris that where disproven that very day. The children were still taken from Chris and Anne’s custody. Anne hired an attorney, but – because the cases were split – was only able to sue for her own, biological children’s return. The younger children, the twins, were returned to the care of Merry Sloan who had since divorced Ron. Merry has been caught by local sheriff’s departments of providing alcohol to minors and her own step-son was arrested and convicted for sexual assaults that occurred in her home.

Even now, any accusation against Merry is ignored by CPS and the Family Courts in two different states (Texas and Oklahoma).