There's a lot of helpful information missing from
this article at moultrieobserver.com by
Alan Mauldin, though Mr. Mauldin is probably limited by what law enforcement will release.A man thought to have fathered up to eight children with his daughter faces incest charges in Colquitt County and could face charges in other jurisdictions in Alabama and Georgia.
Notice the article says "incest charges," not assault, rape, etc. So far, the article doesn't mention her age, which matters.
Ruben Fernando-Lopez, 41, 111 Oak St., was charged here on June 19 with three counts of incest.
The daughter has told authorities that a pair of twins -- her third pregnancy -- miscarried about three months into the pregnancy.
The youngest child, who was born premature on June 12, died Saturday at Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office Inv. Mike Murfin said Monday. The mother was believed to have been 17 when she had her first child.
Three counts of "incest." Again, not
assault. The age of consent in Alabama and Georgia is 16. That means this young woman was free to have group sex with complete strangers ranging in age from 16 to 35 to 65, including weightlifters and cage fighters. She was free to have sex with an unrelated boarder living in her home from the time she was an infant, or the President. But she can't legally consent (if we are talking about something consensual) to have sex with Ruben.
Why not?
The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services asked the sheriff’s office to investigate the family after noting that the woman’s children had a history of developmental disabilities.
“They reported apparent health problems,” sheriff’s Inv. Shawn Bostick said. “In identifying the father, it was determined the father (of the woman) was the childrens’ father.”
The article does not say if it was determined that the disabilities were the result of genetic problems. Most children born to consanguineous parents are healthy. It is possible, though, that these two have a problem with their gene combinations. Or, perhaps, if either of them had children with others, those children would have problems, too.
The surviving five children are with the mother.
“There’s no reports of them being mistreated or neglected,” Murfin said.
Well that's good. It is legal for people with obvious, serious, genetic diseases to have sex, have children together, and marry. So why is he
being prosecuted? If he
assaulted her, charge him appropriately. If this was consensual, prosecution is ridiculous.
Notice no mention is made of
her mother or any siblings of hers. That's one of the questions I have: was she raised by her father, or could this be a matter of
Genetic Sexual Attraction, where she grew up with her mother, apart from him, and siblings and reunited with him later?
Another question: What has
she said to authorities about this? Is there any evidence to suggest he so much as touched her before she reached the age of consent, or that there was coercion or grooming? If not, prosecution is not justice.
If this was a matter of abuse, then I'm all for locking this guy up in a bad place and throwing away the key. But if this was a
consensual spousal-style relationship, then it is a travesty that he would be prosecuted and that he has been taking away from the family.
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