How Could You? Hall of Shame-Gwendolyn Denise Rolle

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 Fort Pierce, Florida, pastor and foster mother Gwendolyn Denise Rolle, 59 is “facing five felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm after she took in the five siblings.”

“Gwendolyn Denise Rolle was booked into the St. Lucie County jail on Tuesday. She made her first court appearance on Wednesday, posted a $25,000 bond on Thursday and a public defender was appointed on Friday.

As part of the investigation, she is also facing a misdemeanor battery charge with an arraignment set for July 13. She posted a $1,000 bond on Thursday for this charge.”

“Rolle is a pastor at New Hope International Church near Avenue D and North 13th Street.

On Monday, police were contacted about alleged child neglect.

The reporting party requested to remain anonymous and told the calltaker that children were being abused, and this information was obtained by Rolle’s daughter.

One adult in the house, who said she didn’t call the police, said the tipster was telling the truth about child abuse.

The adult, who said she is Rolle’s niece, said she had hit her with a plastic vase that broke after impact on her leg.

The victim did not appear to have any signs of trauma when the officer first arrived on the scene. There was fresh blood on her leg and both hands, and there appeared to be scratch marks on the side of both legs and an abrasion that was slowly bleeding, the officer reported. All the kids denied seeing the altercation.

Rolle arrived, driving a car to the three-bedroom home with one functioning toilet in the master bedroom that is locked when she is not home.

Rolle showed the officer around the house, according to the officer, and “that she only has one working restroom due to one being out of order for repairs. The toilet in the non-functioning restroom appeared to be filled with feces but not overflowing.”

She showed a bedroom with three beds, one of which is a bunk bed. All kids share this room and sleep together except for “(redacted) who sleeps in Gwendolyn’s bed with her.”

Rolle said that she is the guardian for all the kids and none of them are biologically related to her, but “(redacted) is her niece or considers her to be” her daughter.

Two are non-verbal and attend a special needs school.

The adult “gets special treatment such as getting to use a toilet instead of a bucket to go to the bathroom in, she gets to shower, and get better food,” the report reads.

On the front porch, the children showered with a garden hose and soap as their siblings held up a bedsheet to block the view, according to the arrest report.

All the kids said that they ate breakfast and lunch at school.

They don’t always get to eat dinner because they are disciplined and go to bed hungry, they said.

Two boys said they were struck in the face for disciplinary actions.

One boy said he had a bruise on his chest from getting hit with a shoe by Rolle a few weeks earlier.

One child told the officer she sometimes is given perfume or a spray to mask the odor from not showering, so other kids would not bully her in school.

The officer spoke with a teacher, who said the girls had not been there for a couple of months and returned six weeks ago.

On at least one occasion, the teacher told an investigator there was a strong odor of fecal matter that she used a spray to “freshen up the room.””

Fort Pierce pastor accused of abuse of 5 foster children at her home

[Wpbf 6/7/26 by Allen Cone]

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