In a stunning turn of events, Brenda Deutsch, a 70-year-old Missouri foster mother accused of the shocking act of trading a teenage girl for a monkey, has avoided prison time. A Lincoln County judge, while condemning Deutsch’s actions as ‘reprehensible’ and apologizing to the alleged victims for systemic failures, suspended a seven-year prison sentence for child endangerment, instead placing her on three years of probation. The judge also revoked Deutsch’s foster care license, a move that highlighted his criticism of the state for allowing her to maintain it. The foster daughter, who is now 17, was reportedly sent to Texas to stay with a friend of Deutsch’s, with Deutsch admitting in court that she had no knowledge of the conditions there. An investigation was launched after an anonymous caller alerted authorities to allegations of physical and mental abuse, compounded by the disturbing claim that the teenager had been exchanged for an exotic animal. Court documents reveal the girl told investigators Deutsch had arranged for her to stay with a friend in Texas, with the understanding that Deutsch would continue to receive the child’s foster care payments. The teenager was eventually placed in child protective services in Texas after being found in an unsanitary home filled with exotic animals, and she recounted alleged abuse including beatings with objects and threats of death. Deutsch, who has reportedly fostered over 200 children, walked away from court with a suspended sentence, while her biological daughter expressed disappointment with the outcome but found some validation in the judge’s acknowledgment of the foster care system’s profound failings.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
