1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Campell. Anna Waki is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: The views and opinions expressing this podcast are solely those 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: of the author and participants and do not necessarily represent 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: those of I Heart Media or its employees. Due to 5 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: discussion of traumatic, sexual and violent content, listener discussion is advised. 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: I was twenty seven years old. I was in law school, 7 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: and I just thought that people would be really upset 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: about this. I thought people would rise up and do 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: something about it. Nothing was done. This is Robert Agastino, 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: who we heard from last episode in nine nine. Robert 11 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: and his co worker Roger Wrenn had witnessed firsthand sexual 12 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: abuse that was taking place at Anna Waki. Trying to 13 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: get something done about it proved to be quite difficult. 14 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: Here's Roger wren In those days, it was a lot 15 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: looser and you could suppress it, and and we were 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: pretty well suppressed. Bob and I were very frustrating. They 17 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: were whistleblowers. Here's journalist Albert Edgen. He spent the better 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 1: part of six years covering the inn Awaki story. They 19 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: did the right thing, and they brought it to the 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: right authorities, and they knew the hierarchy of things in 21 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: the state, and so they brought it to the people 22 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: that they needed to bring it to. That happened in 23 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: late and they pressed it and they were frustrated by it. 24 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: We felt like we were out on a limb. You 25 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: cannot imagine being year old and knowing something that is 26 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: horrendous and telling people in fact screaming and nobody listening. 27 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: It was a real rough time in my life. And 28 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: I know Bob and I've talked about it. We both suffered. 29 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: I tried left unawake. I went to de Facts and 30 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: try to get them involved. Well Burn Ellis was the 31 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: head of de Facts. He knew about it because some 32 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: of the students had told me they went to speak 33 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: with him. The earliest correspondence from the Department of Family 34 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 1: and Children's Services regarding wrongdoing it an Awaki is a 35 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: letter dated August six well Born Ellis, director for the 36 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: Division of Children and Youth, request representation from Assistant Attorney 37 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: General Wheeler Brian. The letter states it is quote in 38 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: regards to the probable revocation of Antawaki's license as a 39 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: child caring institution and any other legal action which may 40 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: become necessary. For months, the de Facts Board waffled back 41 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: and forth on whether hearing should happen. Rennandak Costino needed 42 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: more than their word if anyone was going to take 43 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: them seriously. Bob and I were pretty involved in trying 44 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: to get anybody who would talk to come in so 45 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: we could get some proof. Everybody kept saying, can you 46 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: prove it, and so we ended up having to get 47 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: some HALFI Davis and affid. David is a sworn written 48 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: statement detailing behaviors or events that you consider to be illegal. 49 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: Rennon Dakastina would need Anywaky patients to swear their abuse 50 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: in order to build their case. Boy, it was tough. 51 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: I just remember a couple of cases where I thought 52 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: they weren't going to sign, and then they finally would, 53 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: and then they say, no, I don't want to do it. 54 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: They were so scared and and part of it had 55 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: to be fear of of the repercussions, but one of them, 56 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: I think was fear of letting down Lewis Petter because 57 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: he had developed relationships with these kids and some of 58 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: them believed that he was the only person who could 59 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: help him. So getting them to sign anything was tough, 60 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: and it was a rejection of him as their father figure. 61 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: We were involved in trying to find some way to 62 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: extricate him from the camp, and as I recall, we 63 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: started hearing a lot of negative things about us. Rennon 64 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: Dagastina were tipped off by a social worker in Douglasville. 65 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: The pattern had begun spreading some serious rumors about them, 66 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: possibly an attempt to discredit their story. There were people 67 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: in Douglasville who heard that we were communist. He told 68 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: the kids we were, and of course we're gone. We're 69 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: not in any position to defend ourselves, and we were 70 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: concerned that would happen when we left, and it did. 71 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: Several people that worked for him out there that were 72 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: pretty close to him, and they made sure that they 73 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: said as many negative things as they possibly could about us, 74 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: and UH tried to take our validity as reporters and 75 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: destroy it. He came after us. He called Bob Dagastino, 76 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: who is, I might add, a very conservative gentleman, a 77 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: Czechoslavaka and communist, and I was a Romanian communist, which 78 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: was hilarious. I'm a rock group conservative. I served under 79 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: Ronald Reagan. The Just Department was Barry Golder's county chairman. 80 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: That's when we went after him for a libel. It was. 81 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: It was pretty rough. Robert Agostino then filed suit against 82 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: Louis Petter for the cost of one million dollars. Rin 83 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: says that at this time, if someone claimed you were 84 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: a communist, that was a serious charge and could derail 85 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: your whole career. Dagostino explained that filing this suit was 86 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: a way to put the case in front of a 87 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: judge and hopefully get the attention of the board at 88 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: an Awaki and the idea was to show everybody what 89 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: was going on in an awake. Walker, who is my counsel, 90 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: said maybe that will excite the insurance company. Maybe that 91 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: will excite the board into doing something. And I laid 92 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: it out in that lawsuit. Laid it out had no effect. Well, 93 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of pressure. I think Pedro 94 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:05,119 Speaker 1: had a lot of tentacles into Douglas County. The court 95 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: really was not interested and they put it aside, and 96 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: we really had a rough time in court. The attorney 97 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: did not do what Bob and I considered to be 98 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: a credible job of looking at the background, and so 99 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: we end up in court and nothing happened, absolutely nothing, 100 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: and it was put aside. It's probably still in the 101 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: being in there waiting to happen. Over the past several 102 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: weeks we have received the number of very serious allegations 103 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: concerning both the facility out there in a number of 104 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: individuals involved with him. It was just a form of 105 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: their therapy. They were told to do it, and at 106 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 1: the time he was fourteen and a half fifteen years old, 107 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: they didn't know any better. I asked him, why are 108 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: you letting this happen? Why are you covering up for 109 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: Louis Patter. He had no answer to that question, involved 110 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: having asitution and absolutely the contrary of what they should 111 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: have done. I'm disturbable over the fact of something I 112 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: can still going on it and I wake you. I'm 113 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: Josh Stain, and this is camp Hell and Awake. By 114 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: now you were starting to get a picture of how 115 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: things operated behind the scenes at Atawaki. The mastermind pulling 116 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: the strings was the head and founder, Louis doc Petter. 117 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: Here we're going to take a break in the story 118 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: to look at who Petter was, where he came from, 119 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: and how he was able to wield so much power. 120 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: Whenever I asked people about Louis Petter, I usually get 121 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: the same type of response. Very charming. He knew how 122 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: to work a crowd, if you will, and was socially 123 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: very competent. He's very polite. Even as his crises mounted, 124 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: he was very polite and civil when he needed to be. 125 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: Lewis Petterick was a charming person, and he definitely has 126 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: some charisma. Looking back, I can see why a lot 127 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: of the boys who were looking for father figures would 128 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,679 Speaker 1: have been attracted to him. But under all that charm 129 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: was something much darker. I asked journalists Albert Edgin about 130 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: Petter's origins. He had worked in a series of jobs 131 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: in a state of Georgia, public service jobs with agencies 132 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: that dealt with criminal kids, you know, juvenile delinquent kids 133 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: who were in prison or are some way in a 134 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: jail or in some sort of supervisory situation. He was 135 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: fairly well educated. He was developing this reputation of being 136 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: innovative in child development, particularly in working with troubled children. 137 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: But he also through those years, as he was working 138 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: in the state government, it is very meticulous about maintaining 139 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: relationships with people who were in physicians of power. It 140 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: is hard to track Petter's professional trajectory exactly. Surprisingly, he 141 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: managed to get his name in local papers fairly regularly, 142 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: dating all the way back to the forties. You can 143 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: begin to see Petter's involvement with youth dating back to 144 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: nineteen forty two. One article mentions him as a counselor 145 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: of a boy Scout camp which is about to open. 146 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 1: Another from nineteen forty three list Petter as the head 147 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: of a y m C a group from Makin called 148 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: the Junior Commandos composed of boys aged eleven to thirteen 149 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: who wanted to help with the war effort from home. 150 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: Activities included running military drills and learning a new form 151 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: of self defense called judo. Petter was married to his 152 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: wife and future co founder of Annawaki, Mabel Reese, in Macon, Georgia, 153 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty three. At this time, he was serving 154 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: as an assistant pastor at the Mabel White Baptist Church 155 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: while continuing his master's degree at Mercer University. Petter's connection 156 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: to the Baptist Church would continue through the rest of 157 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: his life. Aside from a few wedding efficient announcements. The 158 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: next mention of Louis Petter in any newspaper comes from 159 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: an article outlining the need for a full time psychologist 160 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,440 Speaker 1: for the Juvenile Court of Fulton County, Georgia in nineteen 161 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: fifty one can already begin to see Petter working his 162 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: way through the ranks of local government. Petter was working 163 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: as a part time psychologist and probation officer for the 164 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: Juvenile Court of Atlanta at the time. This would later 165 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,679 Speaker 1: lead Petter to help develop and head the first juvenile 166 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 1: domestic Relations court in Savannah, Georgia. Another article from nineteen 167 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: fifty shows a preview Petter's future career. The headline reads 168 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: one thousand dollars pledged for support Buckhead Club to help 169 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 1: youth begin new life. It described a juvenile delinquent whose 170 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: stories of theft and killing were documented in a psychological 171 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: test done during one of Petter's graduate classes at Emory University. 172 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: The Buckhead Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta raised money 173 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: for the youth's re orientation and development. Already Petter was 174 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: finding ways to organize communities to raise funds in the 175 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: hope of helping teens. A follow up article from Ninette 176 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: tells the story of Jimmy, the troubled youth who had 177 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: been pulled out of a life of crime by none 178 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: other than Lewis Petter. The article also states the Jimmy's 179 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: case was receiving one hundred dollars a month from each 180 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: member of the Buckhead Exchange Club to help his cause. 181 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: Through the nineteen fifties, Petter's name pops up continually in 182 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: the Atlanta papers. Most of these are announcements of meetings 183 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: at p t A's churches and schools, with Petter speaking 184 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: about troubled teens, how the problem is only growing and 185 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: must be addressed. Many of these lectures were said to 186 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: pertain to youth conservation. Petter was not only serving as 187 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: a reverend, court psychologists, and probation officer. He was now 188 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: lecturing parents about the problem of juvenile delinquency. To put 189 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: this into perspective, Petter's influence on the community of parents 190 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: in Atlanta begins in the nineteen fifties. In the post 191 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: World War two age of booming babies and nuclear families, 192 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: there was also a wave of rebellious teenagers. Racial barriers 193 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: were starting the slow process of breaking down, and teams 194 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: were beginning to revolt in new ways not seen before. 195 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: This new culture of youth included rock and roll, The 196 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: beatnext and recreational drug use, all bubbling up into the 197 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: mainstream for the first time, and it's scared parents. In 198 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: the middle of the twentieth century and the United States 199 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: of America, hundreds and hundreds of teenage boys and girls 200 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: are becoming hopeless dopandics every year. It's fantastic, it's unbelievable, 201 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: and it's terrible, but it's true. Just as fast as 202 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: rules were broken, others established in an attempt to keep 203 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: this new generation in line. Talk of sex was shunned, 204 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: and dancing and hair length were now hot topics. This 205 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: all adds up to the perfect storm for someone to 206 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: act as a hero for parents who don't know how 207 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: to deal with their teen's troubled behavior. It's hard to 208 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:36,200 Speaker 1: grow up if a teenager has extra problems, emotional or social. 209 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: It's even harder. Kids like this, not wanted by any 210 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: other group or anyone else much, tend to hang out together. 211 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: Rowdy kids, troubled kids headed for trouble. Still a couple 212 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: of years from real crime, but with destruction and violence 213 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: their only outlet, they're on their way to it unless 214 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: their outlook can be changed. Louis Petter builled himself as 215 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: just the person who could help a narrative he would 216 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: continue to push for the rest of his career. By 217 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: the mid nineteen fifties, Lewis Petter had now fully intrenched 218 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,479 Speaker 1: himself within the local government as well as many communities 219 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: of parents in the Atlanta area. He was moonlighting as 220 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: a Baptist minister while also serving as a juvenile psychologist 221 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: and parole officer for the State of Georgia. Petter worked 222 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: his way up to the position of Vice president of 223 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: the Georgia Probation and Parole Association, putting him in control 224 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: of many youths inside the Georgia legal system. It is 225 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: here that he would meet a young bureaucrat who would 226 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: prove in value build his professional career. Jim Parham. Parum 227 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: came up in a relatively poor household, but was brilliant. 228 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: He went to Emory University. He got himself really well educated. 229 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: He also was somebody who thought innovatively about child care 230 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: child development, but he had more broad interests and he 231 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 1: became a bureaucrat. Harms working relationship with Petter begin in 232 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: Atlanta as far back as Palm served as a night 233 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: attendant on the graveyard shift at a juveniv Attention Center 234 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: while finishing up school. During the day, Petter as a 235 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: supervisor and Parum as a jail guard in the county 236 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: jail where they were keeping these kids. They had plenty 237 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: of time over the weeks and months to have long 238 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: conversations at night, and Petter became a mentor to Parhum. 239 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: Petter had all of these innovative ideas and Parm was 240 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: a young, very smart kid, really willing to learn and 241 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: figure out ways to implement these kinds of ideas. So 242 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: it was a very very good relationship between the two 243 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: of them. For Parum, a very important relationship. He was 244 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: Petter's friend, Petter was his mentor. Pariam and Petter would 245 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: work in tandem holding panels to discuss the issue, which 246 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: they now termed juvenile delinquency. They would work in developing 247 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: a camping and cave exploring program to quote assist in 248 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: changing attitudes of youth on probation. In August n Parm 249 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: would follow Petter to Savannah, Georgia, where Petter was enlisted 250 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: as head of the states first Juvenile Domestic Relations Court. 251 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: He started a few innovative programs in Savannah that I 252 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: had no idea of until I read about it many 253 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: years later, having to do with marriage, counseling and dealing 254 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: with children who had been ruled juvenile delinquents who had 255 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: broken the law in one way or another. Robert Agastino 256 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: had heard about Petter's history with Georgia's Department of Family 257 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: and Children's Services during his lawsuit against Petter in seventy 258 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: Dagostino went to Savannah to see what he could find 259 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:16,959 Speaker 1: out about Petter's time working for the government agency. He 260 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: was in Savannah first, he was in the departminent Family 261 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: and Children's Services in Savannah, and he was squeezed out 262 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: of Savannah as a psychologist because of, let's say, inappropriate 263 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 1: touching of juvenile boys that were under subvisit Junil Court. 264 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: What I found out in my investigation down there is 265 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: what he was doing was measuring their penises, handling their 266 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: penises and measuring it under the theory that the longer 267 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 1: the penis, the more likely you were to be a delinquent. 268 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:49,880 Speaker 1: Of course, he was trying to be psychoanalytic, I suppose, 269 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: and it was so ludicrous I didn't believe it. It 270 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: was also told to us, Bob and I that he 271 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: had a stick that he used and made the children 272 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,479 Speaker 1: when he was in probation officer show their privates and 273 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: then he would say, ah, this one's got a good prognosis, 274 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: bad prognosis. Dagostino says, Peters tane in history had little 275 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: to no effect on his future prospects in childcare. Remember 276 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: that the Department of Family and Children's Services actually placed 277 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,959 Speaker 1: boys in that camp even though they knew about what 278 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: he did. In Savannah. There were people in the Georgia 279 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: government in the late forties and who were aware that 280 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: there were accusations of child abuse and sexual contact between 281 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: Petter and young people that he was supervising all the 282 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 1: way back to the late forties. Another connection that Lewis 283 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: Petter would first meet in Savannah is Brett Baxley. Baxley 284 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 1: would join Petter in his quest to start an outdoor camp. 285 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: Here's what Roger Wren remembers about Mr. B He had 286 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 1: many talents, very patient, was good with the kids. I 287 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:14,400 Speaker 1: thought he was very effective group therapist. I've been doing 288 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: it for a while, so I was pretty comfortable with it. 289 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: And he would come in and also added to the group. 290 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: And I thought like an uncle or like a father, 291 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: I thought he did a pretty good job with that. 292 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: I was surprised that he did not step up when 293 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: when the thing came apart, because I know he cared 294 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: about the kids. I never understood what was going on. 295 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: If there's probably more there than meets I. Once Petter 296 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: left Savannah, there's not much record of his actions until 297 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: nine the year and Awake he was founded. By using 298 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: his skills to raise funds through community outreach, Petter, his 299 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: wife Mabel, and Brett Baxley were able to acquire a 300 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 1: large plot of land in Douglasville, Georgia. While the details 301 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: of this land deal are not explicitly known, through land deeds, 302 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 1: we can see that three large plots of land were 303 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: sold to Bread Baxley and his wife Joyce in nineteen 304 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: sixty three. This place would become known as Anawaki in 305 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty three, one year after an Awaki was founded, 306 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: Jim Parham would go on to take a new position 307 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Georgia, as the Director for the Division of 308 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: Children and Youth at the Department of Family and Children's Services, 309 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: the same government body that would be in charge of 310 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: any oversight of Anawaki. By the summer of nineteen seventy, 311 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 1: Robert Dagostino and Roger Wren were fully entangled in a 312 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: legal dispute with Lewis Petter and an Awake. DA Gastino 313 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: had filed a libel lawsuit against Petter, but did so 314 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: in a very clever way. During the libel court proceedings, 315 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: da Gastino was sure to mention the fact that he 316 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: left due to concerns of sexual behavior between Petter and 317 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: patients at Ain't Awake. Filing a libel lawsuit was a 318 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 1: roundabout way to get a court hearing to address abuse 319 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: of patients at Antawaki, but eventually it worked. Rince says 320 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: this is in part due to the pressure of the lawsuit, 321 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:31,920 Speaker 1: but also the fact that they were able to get 322 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: ridden affidavit's from former patients. Bob really pushed and we 323 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: had some people who would help us, and finally I 324 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: think they were embarrassed at the point where they had 325 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: to hold the hearing. I would say that they were 326 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 1: half hearted to begin with, and even the Assistant Attorney 327 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: General told us I didn't believe this. The representative of 328 00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,199 Speaker 1: the State of Georgia there turning General's office to know 329 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,919 Speaker 1: what to think, except he was told that I was 330 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 1: not sir, I was lying in everything else. On September three, 331 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: the State Board for the Division of Children and Youth 332 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,879 Speaker 1: held a hearing regarding possible removal of Anawak's license as 333 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: a child caring institution. It consisted of a three member 334 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: panel from the Department of Family and Children's Services, including 335 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: Chairman Don Howe, Zack Smith, and Mrs Lester Harbin. Over 336 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: four days, this panel would hear testimony from multiple patients 337 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: and counselors from anna Waki. Attorney Charles Edwards would represent 338 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 1: the Anawaki Foundation. Charles Edwards, who led it was of 339 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: course hustle from day one. He was definitely tied up. 340 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: Was Loui pattern one way or another financially. The hearing 341 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: was set to begin at two p m. John Hinchi 342 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: would represent the State of Georgia, with Ralph Walker representing 343 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: Robert Dagostino and Roger Wren. Before the proceedings had even begun, 344 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: Annawekie's lawyer, Charles Edwards, filed objections to Ren in Dagostino's 345 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: legal counsel an emotion to dismiss all charges, a sign 346 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: of what was to transpire once the hearing was finally underway, 347 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: Edwards began by examining a former patient, Van Awaki. His 348 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: name withdrawn from the legal document. The following is an 349 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:30,719 Speaker 1: excerpt from the testimony performed by voice actors. John Hinchy, 350 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: counsel for the State of Georgia, started his questioning, during 351 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: the time you were at an awake, did you have 352 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: an opinion on Dr Petter's character? Yes, Sir Charles Edwards 353 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: objects yet again, wait just a minute. We would object 354 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 1: to his asking that the proper foundation has been laid 355 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: to ask a question of Dr Petta. In fact, Dr 356 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: Petta is not the man on trial, and these charges 357 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: my response to that charge number ten lays the foundation 358 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 1: for Dr Petter's character. In fact, it is the very 359 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: issue in question. Chairman Don Howe sided with the Antawaki's lawyer, 360 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: but reminded the room that his power was limited as 361 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: it was not an official court of law. If I 362 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: were a judge, I'd sustain it, but all we can 363 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: do is note it. Let me make it totally clear, 364 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: we object to any answer of this witness to the 365 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: question propounded by Mr Henschey. First, he had not laid 366 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: the proper ground for it. Second, Dr Petta is not 367 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 1: charged here in this hearing. The Foundation is the one 368 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: that charge has been made against here and not Dr Petta. 369 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,400 Speaker 1: And we move further that at this time and make 370 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: this motion that it appears that this charge is leveled 371 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,880 Speaker 1: against Dr Petta and not really the Foundation. We move 372 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: that all charges be dismissed on the ground that this 373 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 1: particular charge, I'd say would be dismissed on that ground. 374 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 1: That charge which Edwards is referring to, states that Anna 375 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: Waki was in violation of the minimum requirements applicable to 376 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 1: a child caring institution, in particular the clause that the 377 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 1: executive shall in every instance be a person of stable 378 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: sound judgment whose integrity is above reproach. In this case, 379 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 1: that would be Lewis Petter reported to have had immoral 380 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: and illicit relationships with one or more of the patients. 381 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: The fact that this was not an actual court trial, 382 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,199 Speaker 1: but a hearing means that objections could neither be sustained 383 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: or overruled. Only noted. This would not stop Edwards from 384 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: objecting at any chance he could. Hinch's questioning continued, Can 385 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: you say whether or not you ever observed or participated 386 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:49,399 Speaker 1: in any acts of homosexuality while you were on the 387 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: Anna Waki campus. Yes, sir, I did when I was 388 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 1: first admitted to an awake. There are more objections by 389 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: Charles Edwards. They are noted as before. Please proceed. I 390 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: participated in a homosexual relationship with Dr Petter for the 391 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: reason stated that my problem was that I was suffering 392 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:16,239 Speaker 1: from homosexual fright. Who told you that Dr Petter I 393 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: was afraid that I was a homosexual. Then several times 394 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: I was under hypnosis and he said he was going 395 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,639 Speaker 1: to hypnotize me and this would make it easy for 396 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: me to relate, and what I needed was a homosexual 397 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: experience with him. Did he recommend any treatment for this 398 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: apparent problem, Yes, sir. He said that I should have 399 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: a homosexual experience with him and therefore ease my tension 400 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: and would no longer have a problem. Did you have 401 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 1: such an experience, yes, sir, numerous times over a period 402 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: of about three years. Were these homosexual acts that you 403 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: refer to with Dr Petter voluntary on your part? Yes, sir, 404 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: Sometimes they were and sometimes they were not so valid 405 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 1: Darry I was persuaded that this was I felt a 406 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,399 Speaker 1: lot of guilt about it and didn't feel like it 407 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: was helping me. I don't know. I was persuaded that 408 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: this was the thing, you know, just to try it, 409 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: go all the way, loosen up, relax Who told you 410 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:21,199 Speaker 1: that Dr Petter? The reason that this wasn't doing me 411 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 1: any good these experiences was because I wasn't relaxing. I 412 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: was giving of myself. I wasn't, you know, going all 413 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:34,160 Speaker 1: the way so to speak. That's what he said. I'm 414 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: going to ask this question, and I'm subject to being 415 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 1: overruled by the board, but I'm going to ask you, 416 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: and I ask you to reserve your objection, Mr Edwards, 417 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,679 Speaker 1: to describe these homosexual acts which you have already testified 418 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: that you have engaged in with Dr Petter, just so 419 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: that we can establish the fact that they were homosexual acts. Well, 420 00:27:56,359 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: it involved Dr Petter masturbating me to the point of 421 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 1: ejaculation and then with anal intercourse where he wanted me 422 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:11,439 Speaker 1: to have intercourse with him annally and oral intercourse. And 423 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: you engaged in all of these acts with Dr Petter 424 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: that you have just described. Yes, sir, can you stayed 425 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:24,719 Speaker 1: on approximately how many occasions? You know it was like 426 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,160 Speaker 1: on an average of once a week? Was it over 427 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: the entire period you were at an awaking, Yes, sir, 428 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 1: Over the entire period that you were there once a week, yes, sir. 429 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: On an average, you know there would be times where 430 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: there wouldn't be any for two weeks, then sometimes twice 431 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: a week. Did you engage in homosexual activities with anyone 432 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 1: else other than Dr Petter while you were at an 433 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: awaken No, sir. The patient from Anawaki described some of 434 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: the ways in which Petter would use therapy to manipulate him. 435 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: I remember the suggestion that I was suffering from homosexual fright, 436 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: and the suggestion that this was the reason for a 437 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: lot of my anxieties and my self destructiveness was because 438 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: of my homosexual fright and suggestions that certain ideas I 439 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: had about sex related back to homosexuality. For instance, he 440 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 1: asked me one time what I thought about when I masturbated. 441 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: I thought about women. He told me that this actually 442 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: was my homosexuality coming out, but reversed because what I 443 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: really wanted was a man, but because I couldn't admit 444 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: it to myself, I was thinking about a woman. While 445 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: reporting on an AWAKEI Albert Edgin saw more examples of 446 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 1: this type of manipulation through therapy. Petter had a way 447 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: of targeting boys that he was going to eventually develop 448 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: a sexual relationship with, and it seemed to be consistent, 449 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:11,400 Speaker 1: and it would begin with somehow denigrating the boy's father. 450 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: He would give this child in a therapy session a 451 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: reason to believe that his father had not been an 452 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: adequate father figure, and that definition of father figure quote 453 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: unquote father figure was fluid. Petter worked it to his advantage. 454 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: For example, there was one boy who had that I 455 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: remember well, who had a physically abusive, alcoholic father who 456 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 1: had specifically said things that came out during therapy sessions. 457 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: Petter would then take that information and discuss it with 458 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: the boy and then gradually say, you know, you need, 459 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: basically what the message was, you need a father figure 460 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: like me. It was in sidious, and he had these 461 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: cockamami ways of describing the evolution of somebody's sexual being. 462 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: But it was not a consistent philosophy. It was a 463 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: manipulative system that he used based on what he knew 464 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: about that particular boy's problems and pathologies. It was as 465 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 1: manipulative as it could be, and it's as close to 466 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: human evil as as I can imagine Charles Edwards following 467 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: cross examination shows just how low in a week he 468 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: was willing to go to cover for themselves and discredit 469 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: the former inawaky patient. Now, you had a good bit 470 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: of trouble with your mother, didn't you. I've always had 471 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: trouble with my mother. You've always had troubles with your mother. Now, 472 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: do you have improper relations with your mother? No, sir, 473 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? Improper relations? Did you have 474 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: any set your relations with your mother? No? Sir. You 475 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: have told people that your mother tried to have sexual 476 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 1: relations with you, haven't you. Well, it's hard to say. 477 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: What do you mean tried to have sexual relations with me? 478 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: Do you mean my mother tried to seduce me? No, 479 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: you never told anybody that or that any sexual relations 480 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 1: of any kind with your mother. I lived with my 481 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: mother ever since my mother and father were separated. My 482 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: mother would occasionally walk through the house without any clothes on, 483 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: and other words, just a nightgown and just things that 484 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: would happen just living with somebody. Did that upset you? Sometimes? 485 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 1: It would upset me to see your mother without clothes on, Yes, sir. 486 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 1: Did you have an erection? Then? No, sir, now, then, 487 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: did you see your mother do anything else other than 488 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 1: walk through the house without her clothes on, No, sir, 489 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: not that I can remember. Did you ever discuss sex 490 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: with her? No, sir. Did you have all anyone that 491 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: she tried to break down the door to get into 492 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: your room? Yes, sir, she's done. That was that because 493 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 1: she was trying to have relations with you? No, sir, 494 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:13,240 Speaker 1: that was because she wanted to see what I was doing. 495 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: A former patient had spelled out how Petter groomed him 496 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: for his own pleasure, only to be made out to 497 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: be some type of incestual sexual deviant. How could an 498 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: Awaki's counsel have known about this background of the patient? 499 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: By reading between the lines of this interrogation, we can 500 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: see how Annawaki would use a patient's own medical history 501 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: against them. The boys who were identified as victims of 502 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 1: the abuse had been treated in an Awake, Anawaki had 503 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: access to their psychiatric records. The defense lawyers for Annawaki 504 00:33:55,480 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: for the accused used information about their pathology to discredit them, 505 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: to question their credibility, and to humiliate them. Charles Edwards 506 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: scathing cross examination continued. Do you remember telling anyone that 507 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: you had had homosexual experience with others when you were 508 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 1: up at the Special School before you came to an Awake. 509 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,359 Speaker 1: You remember that, don't you. We didn't have I don't 510 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 1: know what you call homosexuals. We had some experience with animals. 511 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 1: You had sexual experience with animals, Yes, sir, you do 512 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: say that you had sexual relations with animals prior to 513 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 1: going to an Awake, Yes, sir. An Awake's lawyer had 514 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,880 Speaker 1: been primed with questions that related to the patient's former therapy. 515 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: How else would Edwards have known to ask questions such 516 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: as these, to outright ask a boy if he had 517 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 1: participated in best reality, knowing full well he had in 518 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: some form Doctor patient confidentiality meant nothing if it was 519 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 1: something that could help Petter and in Awake, there were 520 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,680 Speaker 1: more witnesses who would speak up, and others who were 521 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 1: too scared too. Da Gastino and Brin had come this 522 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 1: far to try and take Petter down, But would their 523 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: efforts be in vain next time? On Camp Hell in Awake, 524 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: Mr Petter told me not to discourage their sexual behavior, 525 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 1: but to tell them they shouldn't be promiscuous about it. 526 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: To encourage this relationship you've heard the charges. Damn lie, 527 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: you know you have a homosexual problem that you need 528 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: to work through. The only way you can work through 529 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:51,359 Speaker 1: this is having one masculine image around you all the time. Well, 530 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:53,759 Speaker 1: I would think that Louis Petter goes further in his 531 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: efforts to help people than most anybody in the business 532 00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: I know. So he said they were going to try 533 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,320 Speaker 1: to wreck his home, his family, and anna wake itself. 534 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: There have been hundreds of children and families brought back 535 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:13,279 Speaker 1: together and helped. That is the best damn program to 536 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: rehabilitate character disorders of any place in the United States. 537 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,800 Speaker 1: Camp Hell Anawaki was created and hosted by Josh Thane, 538 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 1: with producer Miranda Hawkins and executive producers Alex Williams and 539 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 1: Matt Frederick. The soundtrack was written and performed by Josh 540 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: Thane and Adrian Berry. This episode featured the voices Mike Perkins, 541 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:43,520 Speaker 1: Robin Bludworth, and Michael Weaver. Archival footage provided by WSB 542 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: and CBS News. Find us on Instagram at Camp Hell pod. 543 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 1: That's c A M p h E L l p O. 544 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,880 Speaker 1: D educate yourself about the issue of child abuse and 545 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 1: things that you should look for At the Darkness to 546 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:01,800 Speaker 1: Light website D two well dot org. That's d the 547 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:06,759 Speaker 1: number two l dot org camp hell Ana Waki is 548 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,560 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts for 549 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 550 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to podcasts