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RAOUL FREED!

"Thank-you everybody," Raoul said by phone from the plane. "I'm very glad for the web page." Raoul, traveling with his grandmother Dianna, and Blick reporter Monica Fahmy, was described as excited but tired. Hours later Raoul was re-united with his family in Switzerland. All the best!!

CASE DISMISSED

The 11-year-old Swiss-American boy, Raoul, accused of incest and sexual assault against his younger sister has claimed his right to a speedy trial was violated. Judge James Zimmerman dropped the charges late Wednesday afternoon. He will be on the next flight to Switzerland to be reunited with his family.

Attorney Arnold Wegher, who represents Raoul Wuthrich, and lawyers for the boy's parents filed a motion to dismiss the charges. They contended the trial should have started within 60 days of Sept. 8, when Raoul was denied bail. Prosecutors contended the 60-day period began with Monday's arraignment, in which the boy pleaded innocent.

The case has drawn attention in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe, where the some members of the media and public have questioned the boy's arrest and criticized the way his case was approached by authorities in Jefferson County outside Denver. Swiss officials attended Monday's arraignment.

AN AMERICAN MOTHER SPEAKS OUT!

I was fortunate enough to be at the court house when they announced Raoul would be sent home and all charges were dropped. Raoul has become a symbol for American children abused in the system. He is fortunate that he was allowed to go home, many children do not come home from foster care. Colorado has a history of killing and abusing children in "state custody". I hope that Raoul's story reminds the world that many more Raouls are still out there receiving similar or worse treatment. If the parents cannot afford counsel, they are doomed to....without the option of leaving...or the backing of an entire country like Switzerland or Germany. It is genocide on our families, and the Gestapo reborn.

Julia Morgan Aurora, CO U.S.A.

INSTITUTIONS NOT BEST ANSWER

But sometimes the push to control young behavior goes too far.

“I certainly have seen at least one case where the state had committed a crime by placing a 9-year-old in jail for having sex with a 5-year-old younger brother,” says Dr. Gilbert Kliman, medical director of the Children’s Psychological Center and a forensic psychiatrist for children.

“I thought it led to a cascade of tragic events,” Kliman says, explaining that the boy developed a number of psychological hardships.

Kliman works mainly with children in institutions such as juvenile detention facilities or ranches for troubled boys. In those places, Kliman says he sees increased cases of sexual assault — boys who already had problems are raping or assaulting new boys placed in the facilities.

“We’re better at building brick and mortar jails and group facilities than we are at supporting family functions,” Kliman says. “We’d rather spend a few million dollars in building a new juvenile jail than building a child guidance center.”

Kliman advocates more family involvement and supervision for children with problems. “There is an excessive use of criminal system in dealing with children who aren’t even in puberty,” he says.

THANK-YOU!!!

Thank-you to all who wrote, e-mailed, signed the petition, etc. Let's hope Raoul's case will cause American Authorities to re-consider the laws that allow children to be treated like criminals. It took the world to call America on this one. THANK-YOU!!!

A special thanks to Monica Fahmy of Blick who told Raoul's story to the world! Keep up the great journalsim! Another special thanks to Joshua Winkler who taught me how to make a web page.

Joe Ehman
Denver, Colorado
USA

HISTORY:

Raul Wuthrich is an eleven year-old boy whose family has dual citizenship in the United States and Switzerland. Raul was abruptly abducted in the middle of the night from his family's home (in Jefferson County, Colorado) by the Jefferson County Sherriff's Deputies. Accrording to the boy's mother, the authorities - in Gestapo like fashion - ripped him from his bed, handcuffed him, and placed the terrified child under arrest. The police had no arrest warrant.

The charge: incest against his sister. A neighbor alleges that she saw Raul inappropriatley touch his sister. That allegation was made over 90 days before the arrest.

Raul was held without bail in a Colorado children's prison known as Mount View Detention Center. The only difference between this prison and an adult prison are the inmates' ages. Raul was in danger of being abused as long as he remianed incarcerated with rapists, gang members, murderers, and other REAL criminals whose ages range from 10 to 18.

In the aftermath, the family, on advice from their attorney, left the States and returned to Switzerland with their other children. Had they remained in the US, they believed they would have been arrested and all their children could have been placed in custody of the State.

Jefferson County District Attorney Dave Thomas 500 Jefferson County Highway Golden, CO 80401 phone (303)271-6800 fax (303)271-6888
Governor Bill Owens 136 State Capitol Denver, CO 80203 phone (303)866-2471 governorowens@state.co.us
To sign the Freedom Petition click below and in your message write: Your Name, Your address, and your message to the authorities demanding Raul be freed. E-mail jehman1@excite.com to free Raul!