Michigan couple convicted of abusing foster children for financial gain
Tamal and Jerry Flore were found guilty of multiple abuse counts after taking in 16 children since 2007.
By James Brooks ·
Michigan authorities alleged that a couple in Lansing mistreated adopted and foster children under the guise of discipline to secure financial benefits. Jurors in the case returned guilty verdicts against the 59-year-old mother and her 61-year-old husband following a trial focused on years of alleged mistreatment in their home.
The couple began accepting children into their care in 2007. Over that period, they took in 16 children. The state prosecutor alleged that the pair routinely abused seven of those children while keeping them in their residence.
According to the Detroit News, the children described specific punishments inflicted by the couple. Testimony included accounts of being whipped with a belt and struck with metal and wooden spoons. The children also reported being locked in rooms or the garage for days. Some were forced to sleep in a designated kitchen area called the square for weeks. Others performed strenuous exercises as punishment or had food withheld if they failed to complete daily housework.
Tamal Flore was found guilty of six counts of first-degree child abuse. She also received two counts of second-degree child abuse and three counts of third-degree child abuse. Jerry Flore was convicted of one count of second-degree child abuse, a charge carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years. Jurors acquitted him on nine other abuse charges.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case. The next step in the legal process is scheduled for January 11, when the couple will appear for sentencing.
