"Teen Jane" KREIER - 13 yo (2008) - Juneau WI

A 10-day court trial has been scheduled for a woman
accused of depriving her daughter of food by padlocking cabinets
and a refrigerator.

Kathryn G. Kreier, 46, was ordered to stand trial on the charges
during a preliminary hearing. Her husband, Kenneth J. Kreier, 45,
was also ordered to stand trial on a charge of failing to prevent
child abuse.

A criminal complaint alleges that the child abuse spanned from
September 2007 to December 2008 while the child lived with the
Kreiers on a farm in the town of Clyman. During that time the
girl's weight fluctuated from 91 pounds to 70 pounds.

A social worker and detective who visited the Kreiers' home
reported that the refrigerator and cupboards were locked to prevent
the child from gaining access. Kathryn Kreier said the locks were
necessary because the girl was obsessed with food, that she would
steal and hoard it.

If convicted of the felony child abuse charge, Kathryn Kreier faces
up to 15 years in prison. If Kenneth Kreier is convicted of failing
to prevent the abuse, he could face 12 ½ years in prison.

A telephone scheduling conference has been scheduled for Kathryn
Kreier on March 17 with the trial scheduled to begin on Sept. 12. A
telephone scheduling conference is scheduled for Kenneth Kreier on
March 17.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/local/article_398654fe-3666-11e0-af1b-001cc4c002e0.html

JUNEAU — A two-week jury trial involving an adoptive mother
accused of starving and abusing a 14-year-old girl has been called off.
Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg said that the trial against
Kathryn Kreier, 46, will not likely be placed back on the court calendar.
"There are some things that need to be worked out before I am able
to make any detailed comment," Klomberg said.
A status conference is set for Sept. 19 for both Kreier and her husband,
Kenneth, 45, who is charged with failure to act to prevent bodily harm
to a child. Kathryn Kreier is charged with two counts of intentional child abuse causing great harm.
Child welfare officials say the girl's weight dropped from 91 to 70 pounds between September 2007 and December 2008.
Child welfare investigators were tipped off about the girl's condition by school officials.
A subsequent investigation of the Juneau residence revealed that Kathryn
Kreier had allegedly locked the refrigerator and cupboards to prevent
the child from accessing food, according to the criminal complaint.
The woman went as far as prohibiting school officials from giving hot lunch to the girl, according to the complaint.
The girl told police that she was often locked outside and forced to sleep
outside naked. The Kreiers adopted the girl in 2008, according to the complaint.

http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20110811/FON0101/108110364/Jury-trial-called-off-mom-accused-starving-daughter

JUNEAU — A Dodge County couple accused of abusing a foster child in their care will spend time in jail.Dodge
County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg said his decision to enter into a
plea agreement stemmed from his desire to spare the child the trauma
of reliving the events while testifying during a jury trial.
Instead,
Kenneth and Kathryn Kreier pleaded no contest to charges related to the
abuse of the child that took place in their town of Clyman home between
September 2007 and December 2008. Kenneth Kreier, 46, was found guilty
for failure to protect a child from harm, child neglect and disorderly
conduct, while his wife, Kathryn Kreier, 46, was found guilty on two
counts of child neglect. Each will serve one year of probation. In
addition Kathryn Kreier will serve 60 days in jail while Kenneth Kreier
was ordered to serve 30 days in jail.
“This was a very
difficult, heart-wrenching situation. My ultimate goal was to protect
the victim, both from future suffering and re-victimizing her by making
her relive her trauma during a trial,” said Klomberg.
Klomberg
told the media that the Kreiers’ parental rights had been permanently
terminated and the child had been adopted into a “loving home where she
is safe and thriving.”
Prior to the plea hearing, the
Kreiers’ attorneys had convinced the court to grant them access to
several years of confidential psychological treatment history of the
child.
“This meant that not only would a trial require the
child to relive and recount the abuse she experienced, but the child’s
cross-examination by the defense would include the private and intimate
thoughts, diagnosis and experiences of her psychological treatment
history,” Klomberg said.
During the 13-month period the
girl, now age 15, was in the care of the Kreiers, she lost nearly 25
percent of her body mass, going from 91 to 70 pounds. Child welfare
investigators were tipped off about the girl’s condition by school officials.
A subsequent investigation of the Juneau residence revealed that
Kathryn Kreier had allegedly locked the refrigerator and cupboards to
prevent the child from accessing food, according to the criminal
complaint.
The woman went as far as prohibiting school officials from giving hot lunch to the girl, according to the complaint.
The
girl told police that she was often locked outside and forced to sleep
outside naked. The Kreiers adopted the girl in 2008, according to the
complaint.
“Since the child is now safe, the only purpose a
trial would serve would be to seek more punishment for the defendants,”
Klomberg said. “I will not subject this child to additional trauma
simply to see the defendants spend a few more months in jail,” Klomberg
said.
http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20110919/FON0101/110919125/Jail-ordered-Dodge-couple-who-abused-foster-child