Victims tell horrifying story of physical abuse in hopes of keeping others safe
6:09 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 2006
Lynn Kohr and Nancy Jensen spoke out at the Capitol Thursday hoping their ordeal will influence better safeguards from abuse for patients with mental disabilities.
The two lived at the Kaufman group home for several years and experienced abuse at the hands of those who were supposed to care for them.
The victims and survivors of the Kaufman house were forced to be slaves, forced to perform bizarre sex acts that they called "therapy."
Nancy Jensen and Lynn Kohr were among more than a dozen patients forced into nude therapy with Arlan Kaufman.
"I was forced to do 'therapy' with him with no clothes on in that locked seclusion room. Lynn was also forced to do this 'therapy,' but was given a small piece of carpet to cover up," Jensen said.
But whenever they told anyone about it, no one believed them.
The Kaufman House in Newton was shut down in 2004 after 12 reports to Social Rehabilitation Services.
The owners went to prison.
"The ultimate closure, the ultimate validation, the ultimate vindication is to pass a bill and the funding that will truly fix the problem," Jensen said.
Legislation in the works assigns the attorney general to investigate abuse of the disabled.
The bill is soon to be introduced to the entire House and Senate. That's the main reason that Nancy and Lynn are speaking out.
"We've been told by almost everybody that this is going to get passed. I don't know what form it's going to get passed in. That's why we're here, to say what form we need it to get passed in," Kohr said.
They say the Disability Rights Center should also be included so they can investigate without a court order.
Kohr and Jensen believe that would mean success in prosecuting cases like the one they fell victim to.
"If the state does not hear us and do something about it now, this will be for nothing," Jensen said.
Legislators return to the Capitol at the end of the month when they will revisit the bill.
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