Michigan couple convicted of child abuse in foster care case
Tamal and Jerry Flore were found guilty by a jury after prosecutors alleged they mistreated children for financial gain since 2007.
By Leila Reynolds ·
A jury in Lansing, Michigan, convicted Tamal Flore of 11 counts of child abuse on Wednesday.
The 59-year-old mother was found guilty of six counts of first-degree child abuse, two counts of second-degree child abuse, and three counts of third-degree child abuse. Her husband, Jerry Flore, 61, was convicted of one count of second-degree child abuse, a charge carrying a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Jurors acquitted Jerry Flore on nine other counts.
The Office of the Michigan Attorney General prosecuted the case, alleging the couple routinely mistreated children they brought into their home beginning in 2007. Authorities claimed the abuse occurred under the guise of discipline for financial gain. The couple fostered or adopted 16 children in total, with seven of those children accused of suffering mistreatment.
The children described being whipped with a belt and beaten with metal and wooden spoons. They reported being locked in rooms or the garage for days. The group was also forced to sleep in a marked area of the kitchen called the square for weeks at a time. If daily housework was not completed, the children said their food was withheld and they had to perform strenuous punishment exercises.
Sentencing for the couple is scheduled for Jan. 11.
