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Topic : 07/24 Behind Closed Doors

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Created on : Friday, February 08, 2008, 12:21:46 pm
Author : DrPhilBoard1
(Original Air Date: 02/13/08) When people think of sexual predators, they often envision a pervert wearing a trench coat walking the streets. But research shows that a family friend, helper or relative is often the person who victimizes innocent children. Heidi was sexually molested by her stepfather, John, for 12 years. Her mother, Susan, knew it was happening because she walked in on an attack when Heidi was 9, but she stayed with her husband for years after, even as the molestation continued. When Dr. Phil confronts Susan, will she apologize to her daughter? After two decades and years of mental anguish, will Heidi receive answers from her mother? The sparks fly as mother and daughter go head to head. Will they heal their wounds and reunite? Then, the man who Heidi accused of molesting her joins the show. Find out what he reveals and why Dr. Phil doesn't believe him. And, why does Heidi say she has more respect for her abuser than her mother? The twists and turns in this story will shock you. Share your thoughts, join the discussion.

Find out what happened on the show.

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February 13, 2008, 4:50 pm PST

Single Women w/Kids Should Be ULTRA Suspicious

Quote From: peelnet

OMG...Is this woman for real...She has had how many years to educate herself about molesters.  But, she has put her head in the ground...She failed her daughter then and is failing her now...Curious how man molester's did she hook up with?  We know of two...

I agree that mother was a real piece of work, and I really loved Dr. Phil when he was with the molester and said he was trying to get SOMEONE to admit to the reality of the situation.  HOWEVER...You sound like you think it's unusual for a single woman with kids to end up with two or more child molesters.  When you are single with kids, you have to be ULTRA careful about men you hook up with.  Personally, I would never introduce children to a man I am dating unless I knew him for a veeeeery long time, maybe a year or more, AND, I would absolutely hire a private investigator to do a full background check.  Why?  Because molesters LOOK for women with kids, and because molesters are VERY SLY.  Unfortunately, I think this society should be MORE worried about the guys who were never caught, like the innocent Coach or Uncle, than the registered child offender.  The registered ones are easy.  It's the ones who don't have a record that are REALLY a danger. 
 
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February 13, 2008, 4:51 pm PST

Philosophy

Quote From: jonesy385

I think mothers like you describe, who act like they don't know what's going on in their own house when you are a little kid, waiting for her to rescue you and get you out of there...I think they turn a blind eye, and some probably even really do convince themselves that what they are seeing or hearing is some weird UNreality...I think they do that because they know that if they acknowlege that there is a problem, then they will have to DO SOMETHING to change the situation.  And in the case of violence or sexual abuse against their children (and usually there are many more than one child, because abusive men love to tie the woman down with lots of kids), that means the wife/mother will have to gather the kids up, and get out, and go to a shelter, and start from scratch, and take care of herself and her kids.  Some women can't deal with the idea of being without a man (even if the man is an abusive one), and some women can't imagine going out and taking care of themselves, and their kids, on their own.  So they stay, stick their head in the sand, convince themselves there is nothing wrong, and allow their kids to be molested, or beaten, and often take beatings from that man too.  I AM NOT excusing those kind of women!!!  NOT AT ALL.  I think they are chickenshit females, and I don't think ANY woman should put herself in the position of being totally dependent on a man, and I certainly don't think a woman should have more kids than she can easily support ON HER OWN, with her own money, if she has to.

Interesting as I had a philosophy teacher in the class  philosophy of death and dying who was from Czechoslovakia and he told us stories of how when he was 10 years old the trains loaded with victims of the Holocaust were going through their town and no one would acknowledge or admit that the Holocaust was happening.  There are people still today that say it didn't happen.  So it isn't just an individual syndrome it is a human thing, and as humans we are all subject to mistakes and failures and as the old book says l"et he who is without sin cast the first stone."
 
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February 13, 2008, 4:51 pm PST

Behind Closed Doors

 

This is one show that really made me upset. Heidi has every right to be mad and disgusted at her mom and step-dad. Heidi is handling the situation a lot better than anyone I know who has been in that boat. As for her mom and the step-dad, I saw some serious acting going on there. Where should I start. It probably would be better for me just to focus on the mom and not the step-dad. Mom, how do you not know that this activity has been going on in the house for 5 years? When you found out about it (Mom), why did you not move out? Find a friend, or your parents. It was excuse after excuse after excuse. I was not abused, and I found myself getting mad at the mom. There should be no way in hell you put your child through that. If Heidi had a attitude problem, it was not shown to me. But I can see how she could hold a grudge against her mom. She had every opportunity to get out, and it still never happened.

 

I know some people may have some issues, but for crying out loud, protect those who cannot be protected.

 

And if Dr. Phil read this, I give you full credit handling the show the way you did. Way to start the next 1000 off with a bang.

 

Jay

 
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February 13, 2008, 4:53 pm PST

Grandparents and Visitation

Quote From: ladye6046

Actually, that is not true. In many states, mine included, grandparents do have rights. In a lot of cases, they have just as many rights as the parents. When the "incident" happened to my son, his grandmother, who had never seen him, came down from Washington state and we were forced to let her see my son because, by law, she had rights. It sickened me but we had no other choice.
I never heard of grandparents visitation.  That's interesting.  Well, let me tell you, if I was in that situation, I would move, and disappear.  I would NEVER allow my kids to be anywhere near a guy I knew was a molester.  No way, no how. 
 
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February 13, 2008, 4:54 pm PST

02/13 Behind Closed Doors

Quote From: smallspinny

Dr.Phil,

I am a military wife and the military doesnt approve of that kind of stuff.  I think that the mother is hiding something and sticking up for her husband. The military doesnt just shove that kind of stuff under the rug. The military is always there for us wives.

Note the military today is different than the military 24 years ago.  I was in the military and harrassment etc were in fact condoned..the military did protect the soldier not the dependant.  Even today there are rapes and molestations happening.  It is talked about now it was not then. 
 
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February 13, 2008, 4:56 pm PST

annef123/Susan

Quote From: annef123

  Truly amazing!! A free financial ride??  Who in their right mind would look at it this way??  As I said earlier you are not my trial and jury and in all reality I owe you no explanation. But let me tell you something that was not publicized that may make you understand my state of mind at the time (which will most likely be very doubtful as you are so sure I am such an evil person)  The day this happened I had just returned from

the hospital as my four month daughter had severe pneumonia and I was breast feeding.  So I had an ill child to top all of this but again you may think I am making excuses. 

 

  I am not going to try to make life look all rosy and try to justify my actions..........I made mistakes but by NO MEANS did I NOT try to protect MY child and since it was not in the way that some think it should have been done it was in the way that I felt had to be done at the moment.  I had four children at home.  And do remember there is alot of supressed memory here.

 

  Heidi has been to counselors and therapists.  We did go talk to military chaplains so it is not like this whole thing was shoved under the carpet.

 

 "If you click on her profile you can see that she logged onto this site SPECIFICALLY to post on this 

 board,    as well as she has never posted on the Dr. Phil site before."......this is very true as I have had   better things to do and not found the need.  But I did decide to sign onto here as I feel I have the right to speak my mind and there is alot that still the show will not let you know about.

 

 

 

"I am not going to try to make life look all rosy and try to justify my actions....."

 

What a STUPID statement since you did it before AND after you wrote that!

 

Supressed memory?  No...it's called SELECTIVE memory!  You 'remember' only what suits you to try and defend yourself!

 

Having a 4 month old in the hospital when this happened isn't an EXCUSE?  PHULEEEZ!!!!  What about when the baby was released or the following week?  The following month?  The following year?  Fact is...YOU STAYED and kept your daughter hostage!  You slept with the man that hurt your child!  You allowed him to remain in your life for YOU.  Where was your instinct/fear that he just mite do it again?  Why weren't you hypersensitive to his EVERY move?  You didn't know?  I've seen barn yards with less poop! 

 

Let's see..."alot that still the show will not let you know about".  Know about WHAT?...MORE EXCUSES?  Woman...you spew excuses that don't stand the test of PROTECTING YOUR DAUGHTER!  They are ALL about protecting YOU!  

 

It's all about YOU isn't it?  Defending yourself and your LACK of action as a mother.  Your body language and facial expressions spoke VOLUMES.

 

You 'hid' on these message boards as annef123 (=enough123) and posed as someone trying to 'defend' you.  You blame the military.  You blame circumstances.  You blame your supposed 'breakdown'.  YOU BLAME!  WHEN will you stand up and take the blame YOU deserve?  You didn't even admit that annef123 was YOU until enough of us here called you on it!  What will it take for you to admit your role in the horror your daughter grew up with? 

 

I don't give a rats ass what EXCUSES you use...Heidi is YOUR child and YOUR job was to PROTECT her!  If the military couldn't/woudn't...why didn't you go OUTSIDE the military for help?  There were choices to be made/avenues to try but you FAILED to do ALL you could for your child.  And then you go on national television thinking we would PITY you?  You blame Heidi for some of the choices SHE has made?  Where did she learn to make bad choices SUSAN?  The fact that you stayed with the creep proves to me that your number one priority was YOU.  Now you get to live with the fact that he not only hurt Heidi, but other girls as well.  Oh yeah, I forgot...you "didn't know about pedifiles" cuz you just crawled out from under a rock.

 

You are a SICK woman Susan but you have a lot of company.  There are a lot of us out here that had SICK "mothers".  Mothers that walked away and ignored what they SAW, mothers that blamed US, mothers that denied the truth, mothers that blamed/abused/tortured US for the evil perpetrated ON us.  Giving birth does NOT make a mother...it comes from your soul.  Do you have a soul Susan?  HOW could you sit on that stage and continue to blame your DAUGHTER?  I have a mother like you and I've had nothing to do with her for 30 years and am better off.  I used to think she 'missed out' on a lot with her grandchildren and events in our lives but now I know she is too consumed with herself to care! 

 

I pity you...but not for the reasons you mite think.  I pity you because you are so shallow that you continue to defend yourself.  We are not your judge and jury?  YOU are the one that went on national television...that gave us the rite to be your 'judge and jury'.

 

Sunny      

 
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February 13, 2008, 4:56 pm PST

what in the world heidi

My only question on this whole thing. Is WHY IS HEIDI HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT MAN?  I can see her forgiving him but come on. Does she have her daughter around him?   I hope Dr Phil turns him in because he is prob still doing it.    I have been though this before and i forgave for my sake, but i will never have anything to do with those people again. and yes it was family.

 
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February 13, 2008, 4:57 pm PST

Prosecute

If I know Dr. Phil the ball will not be dropped here. I hope that and feel that he WILL contact the authorities about this sick man who needs to be behind bars.  

 
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February 13, 2008, 4:58 pm PST

all you need to know

soooo i just want to put it  out there again any one who defends this sorry exuse for a mother should go play in trafick i have been milested and it hurts me 12 years later my older sister and younger half sister both were also and older sister hasnt truseted men in years and had emotional problems i had learning dissabilitys and trust issus i have panick atacks and over eating dissorder im also medicaly depressed! my 4 year old sister had a eating dissorder! and a studder she didnt learn to talk till this year! soo any one that thinks thats worth getting ur rent payd for a few years .........u live a sad life and will burn in hell ! if i found a man hurting my chiled and i was so callled denied help i would kill him before he hurt my babys ! thats my job there my kids! my responsability! and FYI no one but pedifiles know how they think! all u need to know if ur kid is hurting and u want to have a brake down and say wow is me! u should be shot as well
 
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February 13, 2008, 4:59 pm PST

Child Abuse in the Military

I am not excusing the Mom or the abuser, but I do
have some experience with this issue. I think it was
1987 and I worked for an Army CDC in Germany. A 6 year old little girl talked about a video and and knew things that I thought a child her age should not know. I thought she had at least watched porno movies with a relative and reported it to the right people. First I was told that watching an adult movie was not abuse unless someone was obviously aroused in the room. I then met with a case worker and the little girl privately. The case worker gently tried to see if she would talk about anything. She was mute but I know she heard. In the end they said there was nothing they could do but it turned out that they would soon be moving but my concern continued so they promised to alert someone at the new location. I now work with Army and Navy staff members and child abuse education and identification has come a very long way. I think
now maybe she would have been given the help
she deserved. I also had other experiences in the
80's but this seemed most relavant.
 
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