Zearing abuse victim asked to return to school to escape abuse at home
There are new developments in the case of that Zearing teenager allegedly kidnapped, handcuffed and abused in his own home.
Court documents show he tried to reach out to his school to bring him back to in-person classes so he could escape being shackled to his bed at home.
vlog is not naming the victim in the case. He's an 18-year-old high school student.
One child abuse protection advocate says schools need to do a better job keeping track of and protecting remote learning students who can slip through the cracks.
“Oh, I was just sick. It just made me heartbroken,” said Matt McCoy, Polk County supervisor.
McCoy has heard it all before. Years ago, the former state legislator tried to pass a new law that would require more thorough school oversight for remote or home-schooled students after central Iowa girls Sabrina Ray and Natelie Finn died of home abuse and torture.
The latest case involves an 18-year-old student who lives in Zearing. Four of his family members, including his mother, are charged with kidnapping and abuse after allegedly handcuffing him to a bed. He weighed 70 pounds when he ended up in the hospital.
Court documents showed that the victim reached out to Colo-NESCO High School last fall and requested that the school require him to come to school.
He said, "And don't say it was my idea, please and thank you."
He made a similar request a few days later saying, "Can you require me to go to school?"
The Colo-NESCO superintendent could not comment on the case.
McCoy says it’s another tragic example of how important school reporting is.
“Everyone is in agreement that schools are a safety net and providing this oversight for our kids is the least we can do to make sure that there isn't abuse going on out in home situations and that, you know, from time to time we're seeing the whites of those kids eyes and making sure that they're doing okay and they're learning, they're growing and they're prospering in whatever they're pursuing,” said McCoy.
The suspects in the Zearing kidnapping and abuse case remain in the Story County jail on million-dollar bonds.
