cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/19313916

A retired Aurora police sergeant faces criminal charges for raping his daughter and continually sexually assaulting her and his two adopted daughters, but he remains free from custody while his ex-wife is in jail for objecting to court-ordered reunification therapy meant to repair his relationship with two of his sons.

  • voracitude@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    A retired Aurora police sergeant faces criminal charges for raping his daughter and continually sexually assaulting her and his two adopted daughters, but he remains free from custody while his ex-wife is in jail for objecting to court-ordered reunification therapy meant to repair his relationship with two of his sons.

    The mother, Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, said the reunification therapy by Christine Bassett, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has been harmful, abusive and counterproductive.

    The reunification therapist, Bassett, is conducting the therapy at Lighthouse Christian Counseling in Fort Collins, which advertises itself on the internet as “integrating faith into the counseling process.”

    “We believe that, as we push into the hard and painful things surrounding us, God meets us with both grace and truth,” the website for Lighthouse Christian Counseling states. “It is our delight to extend that grace and truth to others, regardless of their faith journey.”

    “Reunification Therapy” that turns out to be just psychologically and physically abusing victims into a Stockholm Syndrome-like relationship with the child rapists that abused them? From a Christian organisation? My face right now, I am telling you three times, it is the Platonic Ideal of shock and disbelief.

  • ganksy@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Wow, that was an especially hard read. Nearly 20 yrs abuse from a person in a position of authority. Why would you force reunification to this man?!

    • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Religious reunification “therapy” ordered by a judge. I had never heard of this reunification shit before but it’s disgusting. Have a psychologist ask the kids if they want to see their dad. They’re old enough for that kind of decision making even though it’s hard.

      • ganksy@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Absolutely. Not having the children there of their own volition when the crime involved is of this magnitude… archaic. Especially in Colorado.

  • RubberDuck@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    No no… this is fine. It’s not the raped daughter that is beiing forced into contact with dad… it’s only the impressionable young boys that will be forced into a non consensual relationship with a rapist father.

    No way teaching young boys about how the government thinks non consensual relationships are OK and put them under the supervision of a rapist… right.

    I fear for these kids and wonder if they will be OK.

    If they become violent sex offenders their lawyers will have a field day with this though.

  • Hayduke@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    As horrific as this is, it was made worse by the title also being interpreted as him raping his daughters remains. Do editors even exist anymore?

    • phdepressed@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      That’s not a misinterpretation. That is the accusation which is under criminal investigation and behind the reasoning he tried to drown one of his sons (now a legal adult and not in the custody issue).