He then said he and his wife became overwhelmed in caring for them, so he arranged for them to live with Eric Cameron Francis and his wife, Stacey Francis, after the state didnt agree with his request to take them back. Here bass player Justin Harris is seen live on stage. According to Wallis, Harris told her they could no longer handle the girls, needed to give them back and that ministers came "to visit the house to try and get the demons out of the two little girls." On Tuesday, shortly before this story went to print, Harris sharpened his accusations, telling KTHV-TV, Channel 11, that Blucker the states top official for child welfare knew he gave the girls to another family and did not report it. Equally as painful is being promised a family that you will never have to say goodbye to and then losing them. Posts about Justin Harris written by HA Editorial Team. [She] heard about us through the church on Dickson Street [in Fayetteville] where they gave free meals. State Rep. Justin Harris let his two adopted daughters live with a man who later sexually assaulted the older, 6-year-old girl, the lawmaker said Wednesday, confirming a story first reported by . The source close to the Harrises said the pet a guinea pig belonging to one of the boys was killed not by Mary, but by the oldest sister, Jeannette, who had long since left the home by the time the Harrises, allegedly on the advice of therapists, rehomed the girls with the Francises. With 15 years fostering some 70 children, the Harts were veterans at living with tough kids. Finding the truth behind political rhetoric, reviewing claims to see whats accurate and whats misleading. Marsha Harris was friends with a woman named Stacey Francis, and Justin Harris believed Francis and her husband, Eric, would be a perfect solution to a seemingly intractable problem. How exactly things could go so wrong for the girlsonce they were placed in the care of the Harris family is a study in failure at all levels. True, they looked to older children here in America who were in need of a stable and safe home; but the children were old enough to not want a new "forever family" as decreed by the courts. ), DHS, Harris said, would not let him and Marsha adopt the girls privately that is, via the legal documents drafted by their attorney attempting to transfer custody from Young to their family. The Harts reject Harris claim that the family didnt want the oldest child. This is hypocrisy at its highest level. Just rage, screamin' nonstop. The two younger sisters have been adopted and are thriving and flourishing in their new home. The girls' new adopted mother, who asked not to be named, told 20/20, "I want people to know who they really are, 'cause who they really are is fun and sweet and sensitive and strong. We still are in contact with a lot of our former fosters who have been adopted. The extralegal practice is highly controversial a monstrous act, according to adoption advocate John M. Simmons. This couple, the girls fourth set of parents in two and a half years, has now legally adopted them. I knew how foster homes are some are good, some not. And then, she found the Harrises. LIVE. Although the Francises also already had three children, just as the Harrises did, if Justin Harris worried that the girls might harm the Francises . 'Upon the advice of both a psychiatrist and a pediatrician, they were forced to move the children to the home of trusted friends, who had a lot of experience with children with reactive attachment disorder. I do have compassion for parents in the throes of dealing with this. They kept up with the kids, he said, referring to the rehoming. 3. View Justin Harris results in Kentucky (KY) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. We love them deeply and are committed to do everything we can to help them live healthy, happy lives. DHS has a long history of avoiding, lying, or otherwise hiding kids behaviors in attempts to place children quickly. Why would anyone go to the trouble of adopting a child and then give the child away?'. She was a kid that needed an experienced family, the mother explained. Attachment to a mother or father figure is a deep, biological need and necessary for normal social development, Jensen said. We are truly amazed at our daughters ability to love and bond with us, given all they have experienced. We care deeply for the girls but we were failed by DHS, Harris said at his press conference. We are deeply grieved over Justin Harris accusations toward our daughters in order to self-protect;it is inexcusable. Taking toys away for long periods of time thats just the wrong thing, a nave idea, Jensen said. 2009. They genuinely had a commitment, I think, but it wasnt near as easy as they thought that it was going to be. 'I don't care if I lose my position. Arkansas state legislator Rep. Justin Harris gave his adopted daughters away because he and his wife thought they were possessed by demons, according to a report in the Arkansas Times. While caring for the two girls, Eric Francis wasemployed briefly at Growing Gods Kingdom, the Christian day-care owned by Harris. (Photo credit: Gonzales Photo - Tor Atle Kleven). Another pet, which was a hamster, was hurt but not killed by another child. Email justin.harris@sydney.edu.au Address A19 - Griffith Taylor Building The University of Sydney Websites Contact Details Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Lab Biographical details Justin Harris graduated with a PhD in Psychology from The University of New South Wales in 1995. Goldsborough said the Harrises showed her a picture of [Mary] where theyre like, You can see the demon rising from her back, and it just looked like a little 6-year-old to me. [Mary was 4 or 5.] Though no one can say for sure, child advocates believe that rehoming is relatively rare in the United States. 00:00. We're at our wits' end. As of Tuesday, a Change.org petition calling for Harris resignation had garnered 5,000 signatures. He was told by many people in DHS, These are not the kids you want to just jump into. Thats why Im angry. Theyve already experienced trauma; theyve experienced separation from their birthparents.. They said she exerted pressure on people in the local DHS team on Harris behalf. This story will refer to the three girls taken in by the Harrises by pseudonyms: We will call the oldest sister Jeannette, the middle sister Mary and the youngest sister Annie. 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A series of stories by the Arkansas Times revealedthat Harris a day-care owner, a vociferous defender of his Christian faith and a prominent figurein the states Republican Party put two young girls he adopted in the care of a man who later sexually abused one of them. The Arkansas Times piece, written by Benjamin Hardy, also points out that in that state there is no law that prohibits parents from leaving their child in another individual's care. Justin Leroy Harris, 48. They are both strong and they are both very bold and very courageous and very creative. The worst part is they gave them away to Eric Francis who went on to sexually assault at least one of the girls. Harris put a 6-year-old girl he adopted in the care of a man who later sexually abused her. Arkansas State Rep Justin Harris and his wife Marsha adopted two girls in 2013, but eventually gave them up when the elder child became violent and threatening View gallery The Harris family. We had decided to add on to our house in order to expand the family, and we couldnt have any more children, so at that point we had decided we were going to adopt. An Arkansas politician claims he gave away his two adopted daughters, aged three and six, to a rapist because they were threatening to kill his family, and had already crushed a family pet to death. Later, at an emotional press conference, Harris placed the blame squarely on the state health services department, which, he said, refused to help when he and his wife struggled with the girls they had adopted. Period. An Arkansas state legislator who sent his adopted daughters to live at the home of a former employee, who in turn later sexually abused one of the girls, has defended his decision. The ex-wife of a Georgia dad on . Before he made that decision, Harris voted in support of a new Arkansas law, which went into effect in April, making "re-homing" of adopted children a felony. She loved to dress up., Craig Hart objected strongly to Harris implication that the girls were dangerous. Justin Harris and his wife have three biological sons and were adopting for the first time with the two girls. Discover Justin Harris's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. The former DHS employee confirmed this information as well. We also are prohibited from clarifying any inaccurate information.. Thats something I didnt want for my girls. The foster kids are cominginto the foster system because they have been abused or neglected. This is what I'm dealin' with eight to 12 hours a day.". "We met a bunch of different families, and we found the parents we absolutely loved," Justin, who came out as gay to his family before his junior . Accordingthe Arkansas Times,people who knew the family, including a former babysitter, say that the Harrises kept the 4-year-old locked in a room and monitored her with cameras because they believed she was possessed by demons. The mother who now has custody of the young girls said: 'I don't like that they took this path to get here, but they are home now, and they are loved and cherished. They were not allowed to be around each other because of the Harrises belief in demonic possession and telepathy, she said. They were thrown in with a lot of transient people in their lives before us. They are precious, precious, amazing girls, and we are so blessed to have them.'. Yet their lives quickly began to unravel. The comments below have been moderated in advance. 'Rep. Years ago, no states had explicitprohibitions against rehoming. Their biological mother, who had a history of drug abuse and had lived with a string of abusive men, was deemed unfit to care for them. 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