Emose Oceant, 35, was arrested on a single count of cruelty toward a child and abuse without great harm. Police say more charges could follow after they found a broken belt, a piece of lumber, and urine-stained sheets on a garage floor - all evidence of the abuse this woman inflicted on her seven kids, ages 2 to 14.
Oceant used the belt and two-by-four to beat the children. She also made them sleep in the garage even though two bedrooms in the home were unused.
One of the older kids told detectives that he was beaten 40 or 50 times. Police found scars covering the bodies of the five oldest children that were consistent with abuse.
Oceant told the kids that she would kill them if they told others what was going on. Seems they kept quiet because neighbors had no idea the abuse was happening.
The oldest children said that when they got home from school, they had to stay in the garage. It’s where they ate and slept. Sometimes food was withheld. Other times they were locked out of their home the whole night. The children told police that they were beaten with belts, hangers, wet towels, carved wood, and a 2×4.
The family had been moving to avoid detection from police and the Department of Children and Families. They were finally turned in by an employee of the Child Protection Team, part of the Children’s Advocacy Center in Fort Myers.
Before police had received reports of abuse and erratic behavior by Oceant, but nothing was done until now. Last August, Oceant attempted to drive off with one child halfway out of the car after arguing with her boyfriend.
A month later, police again investigated Oceant after a day-care employee reported suspicious bruises on her five-year-old daughter.
In 2005, Oceant slashed her boyfriend’s tires and smeared her baby’s feces on various parts of his car. Nice.
This was a woman out of control. Why did it take so long for her to get arrested? And why were the charges so weak? (Abuse without great harm? PLEASE!) What the hell is going on?
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