The Tragedy of an Adopted Ethiopian Girl

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The tragedy of an adopted little Ethiopian Girl

By Solomon Woldeyes

September 9, 2013

This is the story of an adopted little Ethiopian girl, called Hana, thirteen year-old, adopted by Larry and Carri Williams of Skagit County, in Washington State. Little Hana was living in the home with eight children, seven of whom were the biological children of the adopted parents, and one other child, called Immanuel also an adopted child from Ethiopia. Both Hana and Immanuel were ill-treated by the Williams since they were first brought from Ethiopia, in 2008.

Hana, in her short lived life in the United States had led a depressing life, and was under constant terror; she was physically and mentally tortured on a daily basis by the Williams. Long court proceedings and testimonies of witnesses revealed the Williams and couple of their boys were unjustly treated Hana and Immanuel and were poorly fed and clothed. Hana spent her final months sleeping in a cramped little closet locked from outside, with no access to escape in case of emergency, and she was forced to shower outside with a hose, and used a portable toilet behind a barn. As methods of the Williams punishment, Hana was being hit as many as 40 times in a day. In addition, the Williams used to force both children made them lie in the bath tab and pour buckets of ice on them. Both children unlike their biological children were fed frozen food and wet sandwiches every single day.

In May 2011, in one cold winter night Hana was found dead in the mud, face down, naked, at the backyard of the Williams, According to autopsy report, Hana died of hypothermia hastened by malnutrition and stomach condition. However, other discoveries around her death indicate an overwhelming evidence of long extensive prior abuses revealed. Both Hana and Immanuel were starved and  deprived of basic human necessities of life, and were treated with such undignified manner as members of the William’s household.

The day Hana died, the adopted mother Mrs. Carri Williams was watching her from the inside of the house while she was struggling to stand and walk. She had been watching her when she staggered and fell on the ground repeatedly. Hana was naked in the rain severly cold weather. With such torment and helplessness, Hana died under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Williams, and never bothered to seek medical assistance to save Hana. Instead she dragged Hana’s dead body together with one of her son, as if it was dirt, ‘ probably even mocked’. Again, Mrs. William, never bothered to notified authorities about the situation, but only called her husband who were then at work. Later on the investigation revealed, Hana’s head and her entire body were covered with scares and bruises, which revealed whipping and beatings on several occasions, at different point in time. This continues tortures abuses by Larry and Carrie Williams caused Hana’s death causing substantial bodily harm. Before her death, Hana had endured unbearable suffering, and was vanquished by grief to immeasurable magnitude. Closely scrutinizing the nature of the abuse, one would wonder why any human being could have done such horrid crime to another human being to such degree of cruelity? How one could have a heart to destroy another human being life with such antipathy, leave alone to a child whom one vowed to have  taken solemn responsibility to give proper care and love, when executing the adoption document. The fear and pain visited upon this powerless and vulnerable little girl was excessive and unbearable. Apparently the Williams stole everything of value little Hana owned; her dignity, her humanity, her childhood and most of all her precious life.

However, our almighty God has ways and means to defend the weak and the vulnerable, the truth had been revealed, the most damaging witness to the Williams case were their biological children and family members which exposed the truth; the practice and experience of the Williams household against the two adopted children.

At closing argument, the defense lawyers, however, had tried to trash the case by bringing question of credibility in the testimonies of the surviving adopted child. Obviously the framing of questions, the technicality of cross-examinations could confuse leave alone an impaired person who only lived less than five years in the U.S., also for one who has difficulty clearly understanding the language and the technicality and application of the law. He could easily be frustrated, confused, tired sitting for hours in the witness stand.

A friend to the Williams, Roseanne Bramlett, who had been contributing money to a fund to help the Williams said, “The facts are laid out pretty clear, I feel really confident that the things will go well”. In this case, both the credibility question and argument over Hanas age simply could only be an excuse to change the severity of the case, the testimonies, otherwise were pretty clear as Roseanne Bramlett said.

Leaders and members of the Ethiopian Community had been travelling to the Skagit County for all court follow-ups to the final sessions of closing arguments, dedicated with determination not to rest satisfied until the law redresses, and waiting with impatience for the final verdict.

The long awaited verdict finally rested, the jury Hana & Imamnuel vs the Williams, homicide by abuse and first degree manslaughter guilty verdict was declared. For both Sedro Wooley and the Ethiopian communities were highly emotional moments. Many members of the Ethiopian Community have expressed their emotions with tears.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to forward my heartfelt appreciation and thanks to the Skagit County prosecution team in their commitment of gathering, organizing, insisted and persisted without prejudice and presented the case with most ethical and professional manner. And to members of the jury, I would say, based on the power vested upon you by the constitution of the United States, you met the most difficult and critical civic duties, you declared the fairest and an impartial verdict. This showed that you paid so much attention and effort into the details of the exhibits and evidences presented to you. Your decision is plausible, and you are the champion of justice. The verdict have excited and electrified everyone involved in this case.

As for the defense, there was no stone they left unturned in twisting the law  to acquit their clients. Two of the crucial points in their defense strategy were Hana’s age and Immanuel’s credibility as a witness. Immanuel, a boy who has hearing impairment coupled with language barrier were bombarded for hours and days throughout court proceedings, with cross-examination, by professional lawyers with technically well framed questions. This process by itself could easily be confusing and misleading.  But the wise judge, the alert jury were not buying their frivolous theory nor reasoning. Nevertheless, the most damaging witnesses to the defense team were the biological children of the Williams, and other family members, their testimonies were so powerful and exposed the whole truth; the practices and experiences of the Williams household. For fact, there was no better witness to support the case without reasonable doubt.

I also would like to applaud the Ethiopian community leadership for having proved their purpose and stood firm to protect their community members. As for the community president, Sister Mulu Retta, I have long learned to respect her for her dedication and commitment to serve her people with such conviction- soul and mind, with love and compassion. She is a person with unchanging heart, but bold and determined character. Had it not been under her strong leadership this result could not have been attained. Therefore, leaders as well as members who relentlessly travelled to the Skagit County Courthouse for follow-up are honorable, and you deserve a profound recognition and million thanks.

I have personal view and hypothetical questions to express about the defendants, Larry and Carri Williams, the hardship and physical suffering they going to face in prison is not what I intend to explore, but rather I want to understand more into their intrinsic feelings about the crime they had committed. The feelings about their terrifying and tormenting memories of inflicted pain upon those little children, their guilt and remorse; being spiteful and unable to love, the torment visited upon Hana and Immanuel-the pain and suffering of these two powerless children. How Larry and Carri are  going to lead their normal day gloom and melancholy, and have peaceful night sleep without having nervous breakdown; the horrific images of Hana, the helpless frantic cry for their mercy, after each stroke of beatings, on top of her head, on her emaciated body, and on the bottom of her feet, at least 40 times day.  Hana’s pleading to let out from the cramped little closet to grab some fresh air, and when her emaciated body could not hold to stand, but struggled obeying their instruction, as her spirit drained, and no more strength left, and was shaken with resignation and fell down on the ground as many times their own eyes could see. Now that weak helpless little girl is gone, now that horror coming back to haunt them; their stained and polluted conscious retracting those horrific crime scenes, playing and rerunning the panoramic pictures of the horror and agonies that they inflicted to those powerless children.

In hearing of Hana’s case, I am refreshed by a memory of 2003. A young Ethiopian girl of Hana’s age was brought to my little restaurant, then in the North Seattle, Greenwood neighborhood. She was with a woman most probably adopted parent or working for the adoption agency. When entering the restaurant the young girl looked agitated, but momentarily was very happy to see me. They were seated and order was served, however, rather than eating the food, she was gazing at me constantly and inquisitively; her eyes her body language revealed to me some sort of dark secrets. I struggled with my own emotion to refrain myself not to had disturbed their privacy, on the other hand there was an urge to had gone and talk to her. While I was with such dilemma, I walked straight where they sat and exchange greetings. The girl spoke Amharic, however, her speech was incoherent, I couldn’t clearly understand what she wanted to convey. I felt something was bothering her, and she was gloomily melancholic; may be this was due to medical condition, I thought. With the little time I had, I tried to extract some information from her, to understand what caused her condition. Nevertheless her company didn’t give me enough time to understand what was bothering that young Ethiopian girl. Why such desperation? To this day, I remember her, and the sought of it always stab my heart like a sharp knife and make me feel guilty.

We hear hundreds and thousands of children and young Ethiopians leave the country in similar condition, but we have very little limited information to their consequence. We don’t know under what circumstances these adopted children ended up in their foreign household?

Fortunately, I happened to have met some adopted parents at the Ethiopian Community here in Seattle who are deeply involved in their adopted children’s wellbeing; give the necessary good care to their adopted children and occasionally bring them to the Ethiopian community to connect them to their tradition and culture. Also these parents have displayed a plausible commitment to the Ethiopian Community establishment by providing tremendous material and manpower support for the development of the center.

In my conclusion, I would say, all these horrific suffering against the Ethiopian children in particular and to the Ethiopian people in general is due to bad governance-selfishness, nepotism, ethnocentrism coupled with corruption brought our society to disarray .Ethiopia, otherwise is a rich  country with all the necessary natural resources, but the Woyan’s and their human trafficking agencies, such as Saudi Star which is run by Sheik Alamoudi are tremendously  profiting out of these adoption and maid trade proceeds. This and other major strategies are underway to extirpate the next generation of Ethiopians by the existing TPLFs regime.

We should voice for the voiceless, and freedom united we stand.