I am a voice for Vermont children. Did you know that there is currently no system in the state of Vermont that stops and prevents child abuse? This site is designed to bring awareness to the epidemic of child abuse and to  hopefully help stop the abuse of children in Vermont and elsewhere.  It is meant to help the public become aware of the need for more resources and social systems that address and stop child abuse where it starts–in the home.  

 My name is Kimberlee Forney.  I am an artist (www.kimforney.com) , teacher, mentor and mandated reporter.  I am also an advocate for survivors of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and an advocate for the health and safety of children.  I am concerned about the decay of our social systems, and the rising of violence  in the human family.  This site was made to show the very IMPORTANT  need to develop and support social systems that address child abuse and respond in a responsible, swift manner that is in the best interest of the child.  A child remaining in the abusive custody of a parent, is NOT in the child’s best interest.  What is in the best interest of the child is removing the child  from an abusive situation, and delivering  consequences and offering support for  the abusive parent(s).  Everything a mother, a father or guardian does, effects the child.  The more contact a parent has, the stronger an effect it will have on the child.  Shouldn’t we as a society help her?  Help her mother?    Is she capable of learning that some of  the ways in which  she has been (and is currently) behaving (throughout her daughters’ lives)  have been dangerous and violent and inappropriate for a child to be around?? 

 We can all help to stop the cycle of violence and abuse in our communities, one child--one family--at a time. 

This  site exists because I care about children and people and what is right.  This site exists as another one of my “tools” to try and  stop the abuse of a child I know–my 6 year-old niece. 

I feel like I have exhausted all avenues...and yet the blatant abuse continues.  I am creating this site to let others know of the epidemic of child abuse in our society and  with the hope  that it will succeed in helping to stop the abuse of at least one child, and hopefully many . 

There are 26,000 children in VT being abused.  My niece is  one.  Her sister is another. 

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traumatic brain injury

I became a TBI advocate for a variety of reasons.  A brain injury can happen to anyone and is often misunderstood and mistreated. I care about what is right and the right to a high quality of life for everyone.  The survivor of a brain injury usually  loses their rights and voice in our society..  Brain injury affected me personally when my  brother was  injured  in 1986. (For more information on one family’s story, visit www.tbijustice.com ). 

 After years of failed counseling and state intervention with my brother and our family,  I took an interest into “finding a solution”.  In 2000 I  started researching about TBI and all of the things that accompany the injury including lawsuits, and legal actions.      I came across some disturbing facts. I learned, there really is no social  “system” in place to help those (and their families) who survive a brain injury–although help and resources are available and many people can recover remarkably.   The available institutions are few and underdeveloped and only have the ability to help a small percentage of brain injury survivors.   It seems our number one “solution” for helping brain injured individuals is to imprison them. 

 Every 21 seconds in the U.S., a person is brain injured. 
 70-80% (or more)  of those in prison, have had a brain injury.

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child abuse

I became involved in the issue of child abuse, when concerns arose about the abuse of my niece while in the custody of her mother.  I had been visiting with my niece on a regular basis until the mother prohibited my mother and I from visiting her.    (My niece was born  in Nov. 2002 to Ashley Terjelian and Larkin Forney during some difficult  times in both their lives.  During Ashley’s pregnancy in the summer of 2002, she  was being beat up at home by her father, Paul Terjelian  and Larkin was distraught and being told by Paul Terjelian that his daughter (Madison) had been aborted and to ‘not worry about it.’)

one child’s story

The Terjelians are abusers.  It is a cycle and needs to be stopped..
Please view the court documents on this site showing the Terjelian violence and also details and documents  of abuse by the Terjelians on Larkin’s  website at www.justiceforvermonters.org

I started researching the signs and symptoms of child abuse on the internet-- the resources available nationally and locally, and searched for whom to contact about my concerns.  I located and contacted everyone.  PCAV, DCF, The Police.  The courts.  Lawyers.  Our officials.  Our representatives...the press....  My brother and I have been going around in circles, contacting different people, writing letters, filing motions, only to be told to call another number and that ‘there is no reason to substantiate abuse of Madison Terjelian while in the custody of the mother Ashley Terjelian’ or that they “do not handle that” or that  “the courts handle that” or “it’s a police issue” or vice versa...

We are told that photos of bruises and audio of Madison speaking of the abuse by Patrick Duxbury and others  is not “evidence” and “not allowed in court”.  A 6 year-old child disclosing to me,  her aunt, that she “see’s naked men and boys at home... Sometime but not all the time” (and then has a panic attack) is hard evidence and  SHOULD be of major concern to DCF and their workers.  But it (along with other signs and evidence that abuse is occurring)  has been ignored.

Judge Mark Keller, the family court judge in charge, made a final ruling on Jun 25, 2008 that Ashley have “sole legal and physical responsibility for Madison” and that Larkin Forney “shall have parent child contact as follows:” (see court document on child custody June 25, 2008)   and that  “Both parties shall attempt to facilitate a positive relationship between Madison and the other party.  Both parties shall have Madison refer to Ms. Terjelian as mother, mommy or mom and refer to Mr Forney as father, daddy or dad.”  (June 25, 2008) Ashley continues to do  the exact opposite of “attempting to facilitate a positive relationship” between Madison and her dad.

Ashley refers to Larkin Forney as a child molester to Madison and tells her she is in danger and that her father will hurt her.    Robert Meek (Ashley’s  husband) tells Madison he will “shoot your father with a shotgun.”  (Threatening comments on the “comments” section regarding the video of Ashley and Robert attacking me and my family in front of Madison and other children on  Jan. 7, 2007 are believed to have been left by Ashley, Robert or others.  Whoever left these comments, make threats similar to Robert’s and Ashley’s verbal threats against Larkin and his family.) 

 We have not seen Madison since late July 2008 in spite of court orders.    Ashley is in contempt of court–AGAIN–and each day that she has custody of her children is a day they get abused and more damage is done.    Ashley is allowing Robert Meek and Patrick Duxbury and others to sexually abuse my brother’s  6 year-old daughter.   Larkin Forney is trying to stop the abuse of his daughter and was hoping the family court judge Mark Keller would stop it.  The judge(s) is    the one who is appointed into the state of VT legal system to make a decision for “what is in the best interest of the child .”

It is in her best interest to not be abused.  But she is still being abused.  Abuse is horrible.  Abuse is damaging.  Abuse (and  the allowing of abuse to continue) needs to be addressed and stopped.

But who will stop it?  Who stops the abuse of a child?  The police? A judge?  “The law”? 
We have gone to DCF (Dept. For Children and Families) and they told me they are “not a preventative system” and they have sent letters to my brother and myself that “there is no reason to substantiate abuse”.  In 2008 Madison was found to be a CHINS (Child in Need of Supervision) and custody was taken away from the mother, Ashley Terjelian.   

I’m dumbfounded at their recent  rulings and “reasoning”.  The abuse is obvious.  And is has been ongoing for my niece’s  entire life.  Madison was taken out of her mother’s custody by SRS (presently DCF) in 2003 and placed in the temporary custody of her maternal grandparents Lisa and Paul Terjelian  (child abusers).  Why were her paternal grandparents, Linda and Richard Forney never considered for temporary custody of their granddaughter?  Why was it decided that the child stay within the custody of the abusive Terjelian family? (where Ashley was able to have daily contact with her daughter.)  Why is it still ok for Madison to be hidden from her father and extended family?  (a major sign that abuse is occurring.)

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I pray for my niece to be protected everyday and that today is the day the abuse of this beautiful innocent child is  stopped.
Each day Madison remains in the abusive custody of her mother, the more difficult it becomes for her to have a life of health and happiness.  As the abuse and violence become more ingrained in her, prospects of her healing from the abuse become dimmer.    As  each day passes, this 6 year-old  is a day closer to being an adolescent and a day closer to being an adult and a day closer to living  with a variety of  problems/issues   that can permanently accompany her throughout her  ENTIRE life because of the abuse experienced in childhood.. 

During a walk to raise money for Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, I was told  a story by an aunt of one little girl and her sister who remained in the abusive custody of her mother for years.  All reports to DCF and authorities were ignored until the older of the two girls (age 9) tried to kill herself because of the abuse. 

I do not want it to escalate to this point with my niece.

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I have met a wide spectrum of people while on Church Street in Downtown Burlington.  I talk with many people while displaying a  large sign painted with facts and statistics on child abuse–(one of my attempts to hopefully reach  someone who can help to stop the abuse of my niece).
Many people have told me of theirs and others’  stories of abuse.  One  person told me that he has met a lot of people while traveling on the road (and many if not most  homeless people are products of abuse).  He realized through his conversations with these kids (these folks), that  “there are two paths that a survivor of abuse can take.  They can choose to take the path of confronting and   healing the abuse, or they can choose to hide the abuse and continue down the path of abuse and remain a victim and/or abuse others.” He asks, “which one do you think is harder?”  The answer is: confronting and healing the abuse.

 Ashley Terjelian, Robert Meek, Kristen Place and others have taken the easy path–and Larkin Forney and his  daughter and others are  paying for it.

My brother has taken the path to healing (from the abuse and trauma he has experienced in his life) and he does not want his daughter to continue to pay for mistakes he made in the past–particularly the  mistake he made when he got involved with Kristen Place in 2002.  A  mistake which unjustly  labels him as a “sex offender”.  The mistake he made  was believing an abuser,  Kristen Place,  in 2002 when she pursued and lied to him about her age in order to have sex with him and get him in trouble with the law.  Her lies continue to this day (7 years later) in order to keep helping her friend (Ashley Terjelian Meek) to  harm Larkin and his attempts to stop the abuse of his daughter.       

Larkin Forney  is a recent college graduate (graduating near the top of his class)  and he is a good, honest  person.  The courts and others, via their lies and rulings are trying to “paint” him as a dangerous “sex offender”. He does have a long “rap sheep”.   He is not a danger to anyone including and  especially children. He is trying to get his daughter out of the dangerous custody of the mother and away from Robert Meek and others..   Larkin Forney ran for State Senate in 2008 (opening himself up to public scrutiny)  –because of his concern for the safety of his daughter and wanting to expose the abuse and the courts rulings regarding his daughter and his attempts at exposing the abuse and attaining custody of his daughter.  
  Larkin Forney is a  great father who only has his daughter’s best interest at heart. Unfortunately,  the woman he had a daughter with is the product of child abuse and IS CHOOSING to continue the generational cycle of abuse by  abusing  their daughter.  And unfortunately, no one is helping him to stop it.  

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Ashley Terjelian and Kristen Place continue to file fabricated reports with the police saying that they are “afraid” of Larkin Forney.  These females are seriously ill and dangerous.  Their behavior can be described as sociopathic and psychopathic.  Kristen Place  caused for an innocent man (Larkin)  to be imprisoned (April-May 2007) because of her lies and false reports.  Kristen continues to  perjure  herself in  court documents, police reports/affidavits and continues to be   responsible (though not held accountable) for her role in assisting in the continuing  abuse of an innocent child. 

 What Kristen Place is doing to my brother and his family is abuse.  She learned to abuse by her parents Cindy and Christopher Place, and probably other family members.  Kristen Place is  the product of child abuse by her parents and chose to take the “easy” path regarding her childhood abuse.   She  is choosing to continue the cycle of abuse and violence by lying on court documents and in police affidavits to abuse Larkin Forney
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 Kristen Place knowingly moved to within one mile of Larkin Forney’s residence and then filed more  false reports in October 2008, saying that Larkin was outside her place of residence and was  “stalking her in his friend’s gold car”.In her police statement, she claims he was sitting in the passenger seat of  his friend’s gold  car outside her residence in the dark watching her.

 Moving to within one mile of the person one claims to fear, is insanity.   Kristen did just that. The “victim” moved to within one mile of the “sex offender.”   The gold car Kristen  spoke of  was totaled in a serious  accident months prior to her claim.

Kristen Place is in fact stalking Larkin Forney and harming him.  

Larkin still DOES NOT have Kristen’s address and in fact, still needs Kristen’s address for the lawsuit he currently  has pending against her (and others) for their conspired,  devious and unlawful behavior that caused for him to be  imprisoned and assists in allowing for the abuse of his daughter to continue–thwarting his attempts at custody. 

 Kristen refuses to give her address for his lawsuit, because she does not want to be held accountable for her behavior...and so far has never been held accountable for her lies in a court of law.  She just keeps dodging the lawsuit by not disclosing her address.

Her most recent falsified statement and request for a restraining order (Oct. 2008) was upheld in court!  UNBELIEVABLE!  Larkin Forney still has no idea where she lives (even the court will not give him her address for the lawsuit) and yet sided with her in court (believing he was at an address the courts refuse to give him!), and ordered a restraining order against my brother. 

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This is the same scenerio that occurred in 2005 and 2006 when Larkin had conditions (for his probation)  to not be around the court-appointed “victim” Kristen Place.  He had no desire to be anywhere near her.  He was busy attending school, counseling and doing all he could and more to be a good person and father and to continue “turning his life around” when Kristen’s blatant  false reports blind-sided him and us  in Dec. 2005.  He ended up in prison for 42 days in spring 2007 because of her lies–blind-sided again.

Currently Ashley Terjelian Meek has been  in contempt of court since July 2008 (and that does not include the other contempts of court for the years prior.)  She has never been held accountable.

Currently, Larkin Forney has a lawsuit pending against Ashley Terjelian, Robert Meek, Kristen Place (and others involved in the system and his and his daughter’s case).  His daughter is being abused and he is being treated unjustly.  This lawsuit is his attempt (and the American way)  to attain justice for him and his daughter.

Currently, Madison Terjelian (and her sister) is still in the custody of their mother and being abused. 

(Written January 18, 2008 by Kimberlee Forney- Artist for Social Justice and Change.)