1/12/09 – Alamo supporters protest state custody hearings
KTBS 3
January 12, 2009
By Julie Parr
Alamo supporters protest state custody hearings
Testimony got underway today in the custody hearings of 23 children taken from the Tony Alamo compound.
Child welfare advocates say members of the Alamo church physically abused the children. Supporters say those allegations are being used to discredit the church.
Nearly a dozen Alamo supporters stood outside the juvenile court center in protest of today’s custody hearings.
“We’re being treated like this is Nazi German tactics. There taking away children. They’re finding no signs of abuse whatsoever. We don’t abuse children here, we never have,” protestor Susan Scarcello said. She has three grand-children in state custody.
The judge hearing the cases of the fourteen boys and nine girls will decide if they will be sent home or remain in state custody.
“We will do our best to continue to safe-guard their privacy and their confidentiality and make our arguments where they should be which is in court,” said Julie Munsell, Department of Human Services.
The hearings are expected to last at least two weeks.
Tony Alamo is in federal custody until his trial in May.
He is being held on charges of transporting girls across state lines for sexual purposes.