A Child’s Desperate Cry for Help: 2013 Audio of S.R. Begging for Protection from Abusive Father, Dakota County Family Court

I’m just asking that you let us live with our Mom.. because this court, Dakota County Courts, Judge Knutson, Miss Friedrichs (GAL), Doctor, have been ruthless, and playing favoritism with my father, and calling us liars…

An audio recording made by 14-year old Samantha Rucki describing the violent and frightening behavior of her father, David Rucki, and the failure of the family court to protect her and her siblings from abuse, has resurfaced after disappearing when the Carver County Corruption blog was shut down (the blog was taken offline in June 2016 due to threats of legal action from David Rucki).

This recording was posted originally on the Carver County Corruption blog, and in an effort to help Sandra and her children, was sent with a letter explaining the case to the entire Minnesota State Legislature, but no one did anything to intervene or protect the Rucki children. Samantha and her sister, Gianna, was eventually forced to live with Rucki, while the media- namely 20/20- ignored this evidence and portrayed Sandra, who fought to save her children from abuse, as the villain.

Public Domain Image (Source: Pinterest)

Samanatha reveals shocking allegations of child abuse, and domestic violence in this audio. The abuse was the reason she, and her sister, Gianna,  ran in away in April 2013, and went into hiding in order to save their lives after the family court failed to protect them, and their siblings from a violent father:

  • And then my dad, before the whole divorce thing he’d always come home drunk or he’d beat my Mom to no end…”
  • He (Rucki) threw her against the wall (Sandra) and said he was going to kill her but didn’t want to face the consequences…”
  • He’s (Rucki) lost it on us kids a number of times.. He threw Nia (sister) onto a couch and started choking her, and she’s 11….”
  • Over the years my friends have not been over because of my father’s actions, because their parents are afraid…”

Samantha says the Dakota County family court handling the divorce and custody case contributed to the abuse:

  • Judge David L Knuston threatened the children with “jail” if they did not comply with his demands. Court orders issued by Judge Knutson endangered the mental and physical safety of the children. It should be noted that David Rucki personally requested that Judge Knutson be appointed to this case.
  • Inappropriate sexual behavior towards the teen girls by Dr. James Gilbertson
  • Dr. Gilbertson and GAL Julie Friedrich called Samantha a quote “whore” and forced her to take a pregnancy test because of the shape of her body. (Note: This would have been extremely traumatic for a child who had disclosed sexual abuse).
  • Samantha says she reported abuse to Dr. Gilbertson, and he refused to help her, stating she “needed a video tape” as proof. It should be noted that court testimony from Dr. Gilbertson confirms that the children did, infact disclose abuse, just as Samantha describes in this video. Dr. Gilbertson never reported the abuse, as mandated by law, and despite the visible fear of the children toward their father, and long history of CPS reports, continued to force them into de-programming and reunification therapy.
  • Dr. Gilbertson coerced and pressured the children to recant abuse allegations
  • Dr. James Gilbertson, PhD

    Guardian ad Litem Julie Friedrich

The audio recording was created sometime in 2013, around the time Samantha and her sister went into hiding to escape her father’s abuse after the family court presided by Judge David L Knutson, failed to protect them, and instead ordered the frightened teens into “de-programming” and “reunification therapy” with the intent to award custody to David Rucki, father.

Judge David L Knutson

Samantha and her siblings had disclosed acts of physical and emotional abuse, and witnessing their father abuse towards their mother, to various professionals including: police, therapists, CPS workers, the Guardian ad Litem Julie Friedrich, and to Judge Knutson, to no avail. Instead of being protected the children were called “liars” and accused of being “brain washed” by their mother, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki. Samantha says her mother never alienated her from her father or spoke badly about Rucki to the children. In fact, Samantha says, she was given phones, facebook, and e-mail and could have contacted Rucki at any time but chose not to (due to his abuse). The children deny they were brainwashed, and say they do not need programming… they just need to be protected from the abuse. 

The children were re-traumatized when forced into “reunification therapy” with their father. Reunification therapy involved pressuring the children to recant abuse allegations and drilling them with negative messages about their mother in order to break their bond with her. The family court system worked to cover up the abuse to the detriment of the children, who began to de-stabilize in reunification therapy. During one session, it was reported the youngest child was locked in a room with therapist, Dr. James Gilbertson, and during session, “blood curdling” screams emitted from the room, filling the halls. The oldest children were separated from the youngest with the intent to isolate the siblings, and make them easier to control. Samantha and her sister, Gianna, were purposely made unable to do anything to help their younger sibling but took on the role as comforter after their mother was removed from their lives (due to an illegal court order by Judge David L Knutson).

The failure of the family court to protect the children from abuse, and re-traumatization caused by the denial of the abuse followed by reunification therapy created the crisis that led to Samantha and Gianna Rucki, to run away, in fear for their lives, in April 2013 after they became aware that the court intended to place them back into the custody of their father.

In this audio from 2013, Samantha begs for someone to help protect her from her father’s abuse and from the family court. She also begs to live with mother, who she says “is my rock”.  When begging to live with her mom, Samantha’s voice breaks, she pleads “just please let us live with our Mom and be happy.”

The sisters remained in hiding for 2 years before being recaptured and sent to live with their father against their will.

Letter from Dr James Gilbertson to GAL Julie Friedrichs acknowledging abuse allegations raised by Rucki children – response is to force visits with the father they fear

Note – Blogs Reporting on Grazzini-Rucki Case Intimidated, Threatened with Legal Action by David Rucki in an Effort to Suppress Truth:

Have the courage to do the right thing and clean up the favoritism, fraud, and abuses occurring in our court systems….” Carver County Corruption Blog, June 2013

The cries for help from the Rucki children have been silenced, first by the abuse and then by the corrupt family court system in Dakota County that enabled and protected a dangerous man, David Rucki. Even the mainstream media, including national news outlet ABC 20/20, as engage in a conspiracy of denial and silence. The lives of children are at stake – when blogs are shut down, an avenue to help or support is as well.

David Rucki has worked to shut down two blogs – Carver County Corruption and Red Herring Alert – in order to suppress his abuse of Sandra and the children, and to suppress the truth about the corruption in the Dakota County court system involved in this case, from reaching the public.

The Carver County Corruption blog was created in 2012 to expose family court, and judicial actions, in Carver County that have unlawfully deprived parents of their rights, and their children; and put the lives of children at risk by placing them in the custody of abusive parents.

The blog was started by a courageous mother who had experienced injustice in family court, resulting in her children being wrongfully taken from her without any findings or abuse or legal justification. For history on the blog please read: Carver County (Patch)

The CCC blog inspired other parents from across Minnesota, and the nation, to share similar stories of unjust family court rulings. As a result, parents and advocates began to unite to demand reform in family court, and in the judiciary. As a result of the Carver County Blog, numerous complaints were filed with various state agencies regarding the practices of family court; other complaints focused on actions taken in specific cases. During its peak, the parents and advocates involved with the CCC blog visited over 40 Minnesota State legislators, and traveled to Washington D.C. to voice concerns.

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki was among the parents who shared their story (with documentation and court records) on the CCC blog. The CCC blog was instrumental in exposing the illegal and lawless actions of Judge David L Knutson, documenting the abuse of the five Rucki children, and taking this case from a closed courtroom to the public. The CCC blog became a major source to read about the Grazzini-Rucki case, with its links being shared across the nation.

The Carver County Corruption blog inspired family court reform in Minnesota, but exposing the truth about corrupt family courts, and the dangerous abusers who are awarded custody of children resulted in retaliation first from the family court who tried to shut it down, then from David Rucki who took a second swing at the blog. In June 2016, after threats of civil litigation from David Rucki and his high buck attorney, Marshall Tanick, the CCC blog was finally removed from the web.

Read More: David Rucki Claims Indigence – Hires Two Private Lawyers

The Red Herring Alert blog, which offers articles on current events, politics and has also covered the Grazzini-Rucki case, was also threatened with civil litigation at the same time as the CCC blog but resisted Rucki’s efforts to shut it down.

David Rucki has escalated efforts to take Red Herring Alert off the internet by filing a fraudulent harassment restraining order against blog owner, Dede Evavold, claiming public coverage of the Grazzini-Rucki case is a threat to his life, this despite the case being covered by his own personal blogger as well as covered by news sources across the nation, including ABC 20/20.

Red Herring Alert continues to report news and updates on the Grazzini-Rucki case; and expose the truth about the abuse suffered by Sandra and the children at Rucki’s hands, and the lawless courts that protect him. Publicity is vital to demand justice, and protect these children! Show your support of Red Herring Alert and take a stand for freedom of speech – please visit, like, comment and share links. Red Herring Alert

Reader Comment: “The System is Hurting the Children…and Should Be Held Accountable”

systemhurtchildren

This comment was left on our blog by a mother named Jessica who is involved in family court  proceedings in Florida.

Jessica read our blog, and felt a similar injustice as to what Sandra Grazzini-Rucki has experienced dealing with the family court system, and felt a similar pain, from being estranged from children as a result of an unjust court order. 

Family Court failures (bias, failure to recognize abuse, lack of training, corruption, malicious prosecution, violations of state and constitutional laws etc) are happening in every state of the U.S., and internationally – this is a pandemic crisis. As a result, the Court’s actions and rulings often endanger children, and punish parents who raise concerns about abuse or other safety concerns. Generations of children have been traumatized, abused, and hurt in the worst possible way. Children are being wrongfully taken from fit, loving parents – and robbed of the love and care that parent could provide, as well as being robbed of their cultural, religious and familial heritage. How is this in the “best interest” of children? 

We are posting the comment, and this picture quote, to raise awareness about the devastating consequences of systemic failures in family court, and to give voice to parents whose children have been unjustly taken from them.

Jessica says: The system does not care. I’m going through the same thing in Florida.

I have never been in trouble and have raised my children alone, because the father was not around for 5 years. I worked full time to provide for my family. He did not pay child support and owes $80,000 in arrears.  The children have never been abused in my care and wanted for nothing.

Yet their father with a history of violence, criminal history (including spending 2 years in jail), Baker Acts (involuntary commitment for mental health emergencies) and injunctions is handed the children and I’m left with barely seeing them.

The judge refuses to hear or see any evidence from our side.

The system is hurting the children just as much as the abuser.

And they should be held accountable.