commentary by Patrick H. Moore
We’ve run numerous stories about sadistic “spare the rod, spoil the child” parents who have grievously mistreated their young children by imprisoning them in cages, in cellars, in shotgun shacks and other inhumane places where no child should ever be confined. These stories outrage anyone with even a shred of common decency and are particularly upsetting when the victim child(ren) is adopted.
Now, however, we have new story in which a beleaguered set of parents have imprisoned their adopted child for four years, locking him up in an apartment garage. This case, however, is quite different from the run-of-the-mill child confinement case in several key ways. (While reading this, one should keep in mind that the explanation in defense of the parents has been provided largely by their lawyer and thus, could be viewed as being extremely self-serving for the parents who have been charged with kidnapping and illegal confinement and are being held on $350,000 bond.)
This case also serves as an object lesson in the difficulties adoptive parents can face, especially when the adopted child is well beyond the infant or toddler stage.
Dane Thyssen, 39, and his wife Jenifer Thyssen, 40, reside in the Austin suburb of Dripping Springs. 10 years ago they adopted a boy named Koystya from Kazakhstan who was around 12 years old at the time. It’s unclear whether the Thyssens knew much about their new family member’s life prior to being adopted, although they appear to have learned quite a bit after the adoption.
Based on information provided to KXAN by Koystya’s uncle, at some point the family learned that he was beaten and abused as a child in Kazakhstan, and now has diminished mental capacity, which, according to the Thyssen’s lawyer, led to problems down the road in the Lone Star State.
Lisa Maria Garza of Reuters writes:
A Texas couple accused of locking up their son in an apartment garage for at least four years did so because they feared he was a rapist who put his family and community in danger, their lawyer told a bail hearing on Friday.
“He has a history of sex and abusing children, not only in other countries but in this neighborhood, this community. They had him restrained because of their concerns that other people would be harmed,” Rip Collins, a lawyer for the couple, told reporters at the court in San Marcos, outside of Austin.
Describing Kostya’s “home” as an apartment garage would appear to be a bit of the a euphemism, given that the dwelling-place was a shed-like structure with boarded-up windows.
Koystya would almost undoubtedly still be confined to the shed had he not escaped from the shed with the help of a screwdriver, after which he burglarized the next door neighbor’s home which led to his arrest. After he was apprehended, the authorities launched an investigation.
Although Koystya’s digs certainly did not compare to Club Med or the Hotel Hilton, the conditions in which he was held were not as horrific as what we typically observe in child confinement cases. According to Sheriff’s deputies, the shed had a toilet, sink and microwave. Koystya told the police that his adoptive parents gave him a box of dry and frozen foods once a week. He also explained that he was allowed to leave the apartment once a week to see a counselor and to take a shower, but was otherwise confined to the apartment. Koystya also allegedly received very few gifts at Christmas time, particularly in comparison to the Thyssen’s other four children.
“Koystya stated he believes it’s wrong how he is treated but doesn’t say anything,” the affidavit says. “Koystya advised he had no friends nor any (biological?) family in the United States.”
The suggestion that Koystya may be a sex offender is supported by the fact that when he was arrested for allegedly breaking into the neighbor’s house, he was reportedly caught stealing women’s underwear.
It also appears that he was not arrested at the scene of his crime but rather returned “home” to the shed on his own accord after the theft.
Koystya is being held on a burglary charge.
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Perhaps it’s just my interest in the macabre, but assuming the parents’ story is more-or-less on the level, I find this fascinating. Imagine adopting a child and discovering that he is a sex offender. What the heck to you do, assuming that you have some kind of bond with the child? Do you go to the authorities, and what would happen if you did? Unless you had concrete proof of Koystya’s sexual improprieties, the police would likely have little interest in his case. And if you did have concrete proof and turned him in, you would probably be called upon to testify against him as a precursor to him receiving a lengthy prison sentence.
So, alternatively, the Thyssens apparently tried to handle it on their own through a combination of counseling and “home confinement”, which, ultimately, did not work out. Once again, this, of course, assumes that the parents’ concerns about their son’s alleged sexual proclivities are valid and are not merely a smokescreen to deflect guilt away for them.
You can’t blame them for trying, though. Or can you? I would invite Lori and Dr. Starks, our experts in matters of this sort, to weigh in and guide us.