I remember reading a little about these two stories many years ago; they have always stuck in my mind. Both children involved in today’s article, Beth and Candace, were diagnosed with a condition called Reactive Attachment Disorder. But did they really have the condition? And were the treatments worse than the disorder itself?
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Reactive Attachment Disorder, or RAD, was first recognised as a psychiatric disorder in 1980, and the American Psychiatric Association define it as ‘markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate social relatedness’. It usually occurs when a baby and/or young child doesn’t form a bond with their primary caregivers. The child may have issues with managing emotions and struggle to create connections with others, often lacking empathy. RAD usually occurs between 9 months and five years of age, and it is typically a result of children suffering abuse. Many researchers acknowledge the existence of RAD, but many believe it is over diagnosed; this has led to an industry of therapists practising unproven treatments for financial gain.
Beth Thomas was raised by her biological father; her birth mother had died when Beth was just a year old. Unfortunately, her father wasn’t paternal towards Beth and her younger brother, Jonathan. Both children experienced severe neglect and physical abuse, and Beth was also sexually abused by the man who should have been caring for them. Eventually, doctors noticed something wasn’t right with the children and realised the children were being used. It was reported, and social services stepped in. Beth was just 19 months old, and Jonathan was seven months old. Jonathan had a strangely shaped head, bulging at the front and flat at the back; sadly, it resulted from being left on his back in his cot for extended periods at a time. They were adopted by Methodist minister Tim Tennent and his wife, Julie. Neither were informed of either child's trauma in their short lives.
Soon after, Beth began to have nightmares about a man who fell on top of her and hurt her with a part of him’. She started to become uncontrollably angry, a child of rage. She repeatedly tried to hurt, and even kill, her brother, pushing him down the basement stairs and hitting his head on a cement floor. Beth started displaying sexual behaviour and was discovered by Julie pulling her brother’s penis while simultaneously putting her finger into his anus. She would attack his genitalia, pinching and punching it; this behaviour extended to other male children as well. Beth masturbated in various public places, including in the car while in a busy car park; she had no idea that it wasn’t appropriate behaviour and would often continue until she made herself bleed. Her behaviour became increasingly threatening, to the point that her parents had to lock her in her bedroom at night for their own and Jonathan’s safety. Julie later recalled Beth asking, ‘What are those knives look like that are gone mom? Weren’t they kind of silver and about this big?’ And I knew the end, and this little smile, that’s not a sweet smile but a malicious smile, and I knew then, I thought she’s got them’. Despite loving Beth, Tim and Julie, understandably, came to the end of their tether and took her to see clinical psychologist Doctor Ken Magid.
During the sessions, Beth talked candidly with the doctor about what had happened to her and what she had done to others. Watching the videos is disturbing as Beth is seemingly devoid of any emotion; the matter-of-fact way she talks is heartbreaking.
Doctor: Tell me about your birth family; what was that nightmare like?
Beth: When he touched my vagina.
Doctor: Okay.
Beth: And so, it bled, it hurt a lot, and so it bled and…would pain me a lot, he’d hit on me, wouldn’t be very nice to me.
Doctor: How old were you?
Beth: One
…
Doctor: Do you have animals, Beth?
Beth: Clyde, Chucky, Tarsi and Annie
Doctor: And what do you do to the animals, Beth?
Beth: Stick them with pins.
Beth talks about finding a nest with baby birds inside, describing how she squeezed their life out. She even admitted to stealing the knives from the kitchen; when the doctor asked what she wanted to do with the knives, she replied, ‘Kill John and mommy with them, and daddy’.
The doctor recommended that Beth be removed from her adopted family for their safety. Therapist Connell Watkins offered to help and take Beth into her home, offering intensive behavioural modification therapy. Watkins explained, ‘I have children that killed numerous times. Cold blooded family members, neighbours, children, killed them And they can do it. Makes my blood run cold just to think about it! 9 years old. People don't think a 9-year-old is capable of cold-blooded murder but they are. That attachment break that severely damaged the heart, the ability to care and the ability to love. They don't care, and they don't love; they’re capable of anything. We’re very strict about everything. Everything is completely monitored. We take complete control because a child who's unattached does not trust. And because they don't trust, they don't allow anybody to be the boss of them. So, we take complete control; they are not the boss of anything. They have to ask to get a drink of water; they have to ask to go to the bathroom; they have to ask to leave our sight. Part of that is because we cannot trust them because of the damage that they've done before.’
To begin with, Watkins set these extreme restrictions, but within a year, Beth was sharing a room with Watkins's biological daughter. Beth had developed empathy for others and was showing remorse for how she treated her brother. Beth has since come on in leaps and bounds; she graduated with a degree in nursing and works as a guest speaker on children with RAD. She has written a book called ‘More Than a Thread of Hope’ and describes herself as no longer a 'child of rage but a phenomenal woman’. A Child of Rage documentary is available online.
But before you start cheering for Connell Watkins, know that Beth was luckier than some. Watkins was involved in treating another child, 10-year-old Candace Newmaker, who also suffered from RAD.
Candace was born as Candace Tiara Elmore; her mother, Angie, was very young (that’s not a dig at young mothers before anyone says anything!), and her father was, apparently, a violent bully. She was removed from her family for alleged abuse, although Angie vehemently denied this and fought to get her child back. Candace was placed in 5 foster homes before being adopted at age 5 (some accounts say 6) by 42-year-old Jeane Newmaker. Later, Jeane would claim that Candace had severe psychological problems, including sexually assaulting other children, killing goldfish, and starting fires. She said the child was angry, defensive, and hostile (although, interestingly, none of Candace’s teachers or neighbours said she acted this way or was indeed a problem child). After adopting Candace, Jeane began taking her to a psychiatrist who prescribed medication. According to Jeane, this never worked, and Candace became worse.
Candace and Jeane travelled to Colorado in April 2000, having paid $7,000 for a 2-week intensive attachment therapy session with Watkins. During the second week, Watkins decided to conduct the rebirthing therapy. This was a highly controversial treatment; the child was wrapped tightly in a sheet, covered in pillows, and weighed down by adults. The idea is that the child will scream and struggle, releasing their rage before fighting their way out of the blanket (meant to simulate the birth canal) and be ‘reborn’ into their parents' arms. I can’t even describe the face I am pulling while writing that. Candace’s whole ordeal was filmed. Present was Watkins, her associate Julie Ponder (the only licenced therapist attending) and two ‘therapy parents’ (no, I don’t know either,) Brita St Clair and Jack McDaniel.
Watkins said to Candace ‘imagine yourself as a teeny, little baby inside your mother’s womb and what it felt like. Warm. It felt tight because of her stomach all around you’. The four adults were pressing down on Candace; they were a combined weight of 673 pounds. Candace weighed only 70. One said, ‘Come out headfirst. You have to push really hard with your feet. If you stay in there you’re going to die and your mommy’s going to die’. (I am what-the-fucking so severely at the moment).
In less than 10 minutes, Candace began to cry and shouted, ‘Whoever is pushing on my head, it’s not helping. I can’t do it. I can’t do it; I can’t breathe. It’s too dark under here. Please quit pushing on my head. I can’t do it’.' This ‘treatment’ went on the whole time Candance repeatedly asked for help, saying she couldn’t breathe. When she expressed fears of dying, one of the adults said, ‘Go ahead and die right now’. Candance started becoming extremely distraught, shouting, ‘OK, I’m throwing up. I just threw up. I gotta poop. I gotta poop’. Watkins repeated the word ‘quitter’ while Ponder said, ‘she gets to be stuck in her own puke and poop’. Candace’s last word was ‘no’. I will post the whole transcript at the end of this post.
When they finally unwrapped the child, Candace was motionless, her skin tinted blue. Even then, Watkins said, ‘Oh, there she is; she’s sleeping in her vomit’. Jeane Newmaker, who had been observing the whole ordeal, realised something wasn’t right (no shit) and rushed in. She began to perform CPR while the emergency services were called. When the paramedics arrived, they said Candance had been unconscious, possibly not breathing, for some time. They managed to restore her pulse, but sadly, she was declared brain-dead. Candance died the next day, on the 18th of April 2000, as a direct result of asphyxia.
Candace’s biological mother, Angie, later commented ‘they smothered her. That was my daughter. How did she die from a blanket? Isn’t that why they say don’t put pillows on babies, don’t put bags by them? It’s stupid, it’s stupid. You don’t put a child under a pillow and push on her’. Angie had only found out about her daughter’s death through newspaper reports.
A year later, the five adults involved in Candace’s death were put on trial. As well as the video of her ‘re-birthing’, other videos of the ‘therapy’ came to light. These showed Candace having her head violently shaken 309 times, the ‘therapists’ shouting in her face 68 times, and her adopted mother, Newmaker, lying on top of her for 102 minutes. They even hacked off Candace’s long hair.
Watkins and Ponder were tried and convicted of reckless child abuse resulting in death; they each received 16-year prison sentences. Ponder had her licence revoked, and Watkins was also convicted of criminal impersonation for unlawfully practising psychotherapy. Brita St Clair and Jack McDaniel were guilty of criminally negligent child abuse; they received ten years’ probation and 1000 hours of community service. Newmaker was only given a 4-year suspended sentence, and shockingly, was allowed to keep her registered nursing licence. In a statement in court, Connell Watkins said: ‘Candace's death is a tragedy and so is her life. I think of her story as being an American tragedy because there are thousands of children in this country today who have suffered trauma during their first two years of life ... they will also be misdiagnosed and, mistreated, and ineffectively treated for years. Many of them, if they're lucky, will be adopted by loving parents, much like Jeane Newmaker. And they will devote all their resources and all their energies to help heal their children from the emotional and behavioural problems that they didn't create, and when and if they fail, they will be blamed.’
The case of Candace led to ‘Candace’s Law’ in Colorado and North Carolina, which outlaws dangerous re-enactments of the birth experience. Watkins is now free from prison.
And those were the stories of Beth and Candace. Children of rage or victims of the adults around them? I’m pleased Beth is now living her best life and speaks out for children who may not have a voice. And I’m sorry it took Candace to die for lessons to be learnt. I did wonder if there was even anything wrong with Candace or whether her mother almost wanted there to be something wrong. The first thing that came to mind was Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental health problem in which a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under their care, but I could be completely wrong. Maybe we will never know. As always, let me know what you think in the comments, take care of yourselves, and I will see you next time.
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The Transcript:
00:00 The Videotape starts with Therapist Julie Ponder telling Candace to lie down on the navy blue flannel sheet and get into the fetal position.
Ponder: So imagine yourself as a teeny little baby inside your mother’s womb and what it felt like. Warm. It felt tight because her stomach was all around you.
Candace is bound in the sheet, the ends twisted above her head and held by Ponder. She is covered by pillows and four adults begin pressing on her.
01:25 Ponder: What do you think you thought about when you where in there?
Candace: I thought I was gonna die.
Ponder: You thought you were gonna die in there?
Candace: Yeah.
Jeane Newmaker: I’m so excited. I’m going to have a brand new baby. I hope it’s a girl. I’m going to love her, to hold her and tell her stories. . .I’m going to keep her very safe. . . Every day we’ll be together and she’ll be with me forever.
Candace is asked if she believes what her mother is saying.
Candace: Uh huh.
Candace is asked how that makes her feel.
Candace: Happy.
Watkins: If the baby doesn’t decide to be born, she will die. When the baby decides to be born it’s a wonderful thing.
Ponder: So little baby, are you ready to be reborn?
Candace: Uh huh.
Ponder: Come out head first. You have to push really hard with your feet. If you stay in there you’re going to die and your mommy’s going to die.
08:42 Candace: Who’s sitting on me? I can’t do it.
08:53 Candace: I can’t do it! (Crying). My hands come out first?
Watkins: Sometimes it takes 18 hours to be born.
09:36 Candace: (Screaming) I can’t do it. I can’t do it! I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe!
10:16 Candace: Whoever is pushing on my head it’s not helping. I can’t do it. I can’t do it. I can’t breathe. It’s too dark under here. Please quit pushing on my head I can’t do it. Somebody’s sitting on top of me.
10:50 Candace: (Moaning) Somebody’s on top of me. Where am I supposed to come out? Right here? Where my finger is?
11:26 Candace: I can’t do it. (Screams) I’m gonna die.
Ponder: Do you want to be reborn or do you want to stay in there and die?
11:40 Candace: Quit pushing on me. Please. (Moaning) Quit squishing my legs. I’m gonna die now. (Screams)
Ponder: Do you want to die?
Candace: No, but I’m about to.
12:10 Candace: Please, please I can’t breathe.
12:30 Candace: I can’t do it anymore.
12:40 Candace: Please quit pushing on me.
13:12 Candace: I need some help. Help! Help me please.
Watkins: Are you feeling the contractions, mom?
Jeane Newmaker: I am.
13:43 Candace: Where am I to go? Right here? Right here? I’m supposed to go right here? Please. Please. (Screams) OK I’m dying. OK, I’m dying. I’m sorry.
14:31 Candace: OK, I’m dying.
14:38 Candace: I’m going to die.
15:30 Candace: I want to die.
16:08 Candace: Can you let me have some oxygen? You mean, like you want me to die for real?
Ponder: Uh huh.
Candace: Die right now and go to heaven?
Ponder: Go ahead and die right now. For real. For real.
Candace: OK, I’m dead.
Watkins: It’s not always easy to live. You have to be really strong to live a life, a human life.
17:07 Candace: (Labored breathing) Get off. I’m sick. Get off. Where am I supposed to come out? Where? But how can I get there?
Watkins: Just go ahead and die. It’s easier . . .It takes a lot of courage to be born.
18:26 Candace: You said you would give me oxygen.
Watkins: You gotta fight for it.
19:50 Candace: (Candace vomits) OK, I’m throwing up. I just threw up. (Vomiting) I gotta poop. I gotta poop.
21:24 Candace: Uh, I’m going in my pants.
Ponder: Go ahead.
Watkins: Stay in there with the poop and vomit.
23:22 Candace: Help! I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. It’s hot. I can’t breathe.
Jeane Newmaker: I’m so excited to have this baby. . I’m waiting for you, to love you and hold you. . .
Ponder: Scream, Candace.
Candace: No.
Jeane Newmaker: Baby, I love you already. I’ll hold you and love you and keep you safe forever. . . Don’t give up on your life before you have it. . .
32:25 — 33:44 Jack McDaniel repositions himself on a pillow over Candace’s head.
Ponder: Candace? (No response) (Takes another pillow from Newmaker.) She needs more pressure over here so she can’t. . .so she really needs to fight.
Watkins: Getting pretty tight in here.
Ponder: Yep. . .less and less air all the time.
35:39-40:00 — Ponder and McDaniel reposition themselves again.
Ponder: She gets to be stuck in her own puke and poop.
Watkins: Uh huh. It’s her own life. Quitter.
40:01 Candace: No. (This is Candace’s last word.)
McDaniel: Mama got you this far, now it’s up to you.
Watkins: Candace is used to making her life everybody else’s problem. She’s not used to living her own life.
Ponder: Quitter, quitter, quitter, quitter, quit, quit, quit, quit. She’s a quitter.
Watkins leaves, Newmaker leaves. McDaniel takes Watkins’ place. Watkins returns.
McDaniel: This baby doesn’t want to live. She’s a quitter.
Watkins tells McDaniel and St. Clair to take a break. Ponder and Watkins discuss someone who is stressed, then chitchat about their dream homes and a million-dollar property nearby that is being remodeled.
Watkins: Let’s talk to the twerp.
They unwrap Candace.
01:09:53 Watkins: Oh, there she is sleeping in her vomit.
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