How Could You? Hall of Shame-Lekesha and Chamille Atkinson

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Drums, Pennsylvania, foster parents Lekesha and Chamille Atkinson are “charged with abusing a child for nearly five years. Police say it’s one of the worst cases of child abuse they’ve seen.”

“Chamille and Lekesha Atkinson say the 11-year-old child in their care who claimed she was abused lied.

“We were actually going through separation, divorce, and we asked her which parent she wants to live with,” said Chamille Atchison.

“That is the reason, we think, is why she did what she did is, ‘OK, I don’t want to be with either one of you guys, so I’m going to go a different route,'” said Lekesha Atchison.

That explanation counters the arrest report filed last week when Butler Township police picked up the married couple and said they were among the most abusive caretakers they’ve seen.

The girl was removed from their home at the Beech Mountain gated community in Drums in March and is now with foster parents.

Back then, the 11 year old reportedly told officials at her school she didn’t want to go home because she’d get “whooped” by the couple.

Butler Township police then talked with the girl.

According to the police report, the couple forced the child to, “take off her clothes and beat her with extension cords, plastic metal wires, belts, and a stick that is known as “the switch.”

“We never spanked her. We’ve never whooped her,” said Lekesha Atchison. “We never hit her with a switch or any of those items. We do not discipline our daughter like that.”

But police report cites evidence of abuse with scars all over the 11-year-old girl’s body.

“According to the police report, bruises were found. We saw her that morning and there were no bruises on her at all. We saw her the night before the day in court thing and there was nothing on her,” Chamille Atchison said.

The couple are expected back in court in June when a judge could rule whether there is enough evidence to send one or both of them to trial.

Lekesha Atkinson told the court she works for the U.S. Navy at its Wilkes-Barre recruiting station. The day after our story aired, the US Navy sent us this statement about her status. “The service member has been off of recruiting duty since August of 2017 due to medical limitations. Our recruiters are required to uphold the highest standards. As this case is currently under investigation, it would be inappropriate to discuss further details at this time. We take any allegation of recruiter misconduct seriously and Navy officials are cooperating fully with investigators.”

“According to court papers, Lekesha Atchison would punch the girl to the point where she was unable to move and she had to play dead.

According to the paperwork, the couple would force the child to cook and clean for them.

The child was removed from the home back in March after telling staffer’s at her school that she was afraid to go home because the two women forced her to strip while she was whipped with extension cords.”

http://wnep.com/2018/05/09/couple-deny-child-abuse-allegations/

[WNEP 5/9/18 by Dave Bohman]

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