Hide Article Text (OCR)
I wo Brazil residents guilty of child abuseA Vigo Superior Court jury yesterday found two Brazil residents guilty of cruelty to a child and recommended the maximum possible punishment.Joe Thomas Griffie, 38, and Shirley Ann Griffie, 37, were convicted of beating an 11-year-old son in May 1977. At that time, the Griffies lived in Terre Haute. They have since moved to Brazil and reside on North Walnut Street.A JURY of 10 women and two men deliberated about five hours before delivering the guilty verdict and recommending a 1 to 5 year sentence for the couple. Special Judge James Smock ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for Sept 20 in Vigo Superior Court, Division II.Terre Haute physician Dr. Roger West testified the boy had to be hospitalized two and a half weeks for kidney injuries and severe abrasion to the back and buttocks. Alcohol and salt were rubbed into the boy’s wounds and two or three layers of skin were missing, the doctor said.Court testimony also brought out that the boy was beaten more than once by brothers and sisters at the direction of their father. During the incident in question, the boy was tied to a bed two or three hours and beaten repeatedly with a board by three siblings, testimony revealed.FIVE of the Griffie children were called on during trial to testify. Photographs of the injuries were used as evidence. The beatings were a family practice, it was testified. There were 11 children in the Griffie family during the incident.Terre Haute Police, juvenile division, arrested the Griffies on child abuse charges in May 1977. It was Vigo school officials who first reported the boy’s suspected injuries by contacting the child protective division of the Vigo County Welfare Department. After seeing to the boy’s medical care, the welfare department reported the matter to police.The 11 Griffie children have become wards of the Vigo County Welfare Department.
Newspaper Details
Brazil Times
Brazil, Indiana, US
Thu, Aug 24, 1978
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Vigo C.
IN, USA 01 Feb 2020
Other Publications Near Brazil, Indiana
Brazil National Index
Brazil Manufacture and Miner
Brazil Clay County Enterprise
Brazil Weekly News
Brazil Weekly Democrat
