A Missouri foster mother, Brenda Deutsch, 70, avoided prison time despite accusations of trading a teenage girl for a monkey. Judge Thomas Frawley condemned her actions as reprehensible and apologized to the victims, citing a failure on the part of the foster care system.
Deutsch received a seven-year prison sentence for child endangerment. However, Judge Frawley suspended the sentence and placed her on three years of probation, allowing her to remain free if she follows the probation’s terms, as reported by FOX2 St. Louis. Additionally, Deutsch’s foster care license was revoked by the judge, as he criticized the state for allowing her to retain it.
The accusations against Deutsch include three felony counts of child abuse, neglect, and endangerment. Her biological daughter, Brina Johnson, testified, expressing disappointment with the case’s outcome. Johnson highlighted that a teenager in the courtroom was central to the allegations, claiming that Deutsch had traded her for a monkey, a claim supported by a recorded conversation provided to detectives.
According to court documents, Deutsch was arrested after allegations emerged that she sent the foster child, now 17, to Texas, to a home she admitted knowing nothing about. This occurred after Deutsch sought permission to take the girl to Texas, following which an anonymous report led to allegations of abuse and the so-called trade for an exotic animal. The girl was eventually taken into the custody of Texas child protective services.
The teenager’s account detailed alleged abuse, including being hit with a paddle and shoes, and threats against her life if she did not stay quiet. Deutsch refused to comment when leaving the courthouse.
Johnson acknowledged the judge’s recognition of the system’s failures provided some validation, despite dissatisfaction with the legal outcome. She mentioned that it was reassuring that someone acknowledged this should not have happened.
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