by Jonathan Sher
The London Free Press

Parents weep at church of god hearing

An Aylmer couple wept yesterday as they watched one of their children on a videotape made days after they were dragged from their home. It was last July the couple temporarily lost custody of their seven children to allegations they beat them with objects, but the passage of time did little to blunt their tears.

Sitting centimetres apart, the mother openly wept, her husband struggling to retain composure, his efforts betrayed by lips that quivered and tears that slid down his face.

While each of the seven children appeared on videotape this week, only one was openly distraught, his high pitched cries shaking parents who for the most part have shown little emotion in a trial in its second week.

The contents of the boy's videotape and all potential evidence can't be reported because of a sweeping publication ban that has been appealed by various media outlets, including The London Free Press.

The Free Press reported last year Family and Children Services were examining practices of Aylmer's Church of God and a book that instructs parents to beat children as young as six months old.

The trial, originally scheduled to finish tomorrow, has been extended five days, three of which will be held next week.

2002-06-06