According to Dr. Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, boys like John fare worse than girls when deprived of a loving home. Curtiss is, however, confident that Genie is alive. Discover amazing horror stories, conspiracy theories, Murder Mysteries, Alien Life, Unsolved Mysteries, latest breakthrough Science news, and much more on Bugged Space ! A war wagered on between scientists and doctors all engulfed in a campaign for control over Genie, accusing each other of exploitation. As for Genies parents, they were set to stand trial for child abuse shortly after Genie entered the childrens hospital. She disappointed the scientists, and they all folded their tent and left when the money went away all except Susie.. He has spent most of the rest of his life estranged from his family, with little support to heal the scars of his childhood. Clark Wiley (1901 - 1970) was a man who was suspect in several cases of child abuse and eventually convicted on it. The office workers antennae were immediately raised when they noticed the young girl acting so strangely, hopping like a bunny instead of walking. Their third child, a boy named John Gray, born 5 years before Genie, also suffered abuse at the hands of Clark. But Genie Wileys case did beg the question: What does it mean to be human? Genie also went through a string of failed foster homes with families who felt overwhelmed by the task of caring for her. MU Plus+ Podcasts. Genie Wiley, the Feral Child - ThoughtCo Because she was not developing as quickly as her father believed she should be, he determined that she was mentally handicapped. All charges against Genies mother were dropped after she cited that the abuse she suffered from Clark prevented her from being able to care for Genie. She was hit by a car. Genie was taken to the childrens hospital and by time she was receiving a clean diaper and a physical exam, word about the mysterious feral child had spread. It was not until he was an adult that he built a relationship with his mother. "They didn't give me the tools, the knowledge about accomplishment and setting goals and the Bible and God," he said. Genies father was dead, but living with her mother was not the happy ending that anyone would have hoped for. However, her mother told the researchers that she was not allowed to feed Genie, and she tried to give her food late at night around 11:00 PM. Cry. Genie was taken to the children's hospital and by time she was receiving a clean diaper and a physical exam, word about the mysterious feral child had spread. One of the remaining children lived with Clarks mother until she unexpectedly died and the fourth one was Susan, also known as Genie. Genies mother, Irene was nearly blind as a result of a childhood accident. Jay Shurley, a professor present at Genies 29th birthday, offered a similarly somber assessment:It was heartrending.Attempts to contact Genie are routinely rebuffed by authorities. Many researchers were drawn to Genies charisma, despite her being nonverbal and developmentally delayed due to severe childhood trauma. "Genie" The Story of the Wild Child, 1970 - Clio Genie Wiley was separated from any form of socialization and society for the first 13 years of her life. After the visit with social worker, Dorothy and Clark were both arrested and Genie was taken to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Clark Wiley beat his daughter with a one-by-three-foot board nearly every time she uttered a sound. Tortured, Starved, Alone: Genie Wiley, The Tragic Story Of A Feral Child Clark Gray Wiley (1901 - 1970) - Genealogy Lewis and Clark: The Journey Ends - Smithsonian Magazine After his 17-year marriage ended, he said his own daughter turned to crack-cocaine for solace. She was smart. Father take piece wood hit. Ive become powerless in my attempts to visit her or write to her. On November 4, 1970, Dorothy Wiley, the nearly blind wife of Clark Wiley, walked into what she thought was the Blind Services Office in Temple City, California. Father hit Genie big stick. Later, Butler was accused by other members of the team of exploiting Wiley. Only once did John's sparkling blue eyes moisten when he reflected on how his parents failed him. Susan became close friends with Genie, helping her expand her previously nonexistent vocabulary, helping her grow her cherished plastic bucket collection, but most importantly showing Genie friendship and love. While her brother also faced their fathers abuse, it was nothing compared to Susans suffering. He hated the noise and stress they brought along. Wiley growled and barked at his daughter like a dog and if she made a noise, he beat her with a stick. "I don't think he wanted me to have children, and it's a wonder I did," said John, whose beatings continued throughout his teen years. When John was four years old, he went to live with his grandmother, but two years later his grandmother was killed in a hit-and-run accident, and he returned to his family. As such, Wiley could construct simple phrases to convey what she wanted or was thinking, like applesauce buy store, but the nuances of a more sophisticated sentence structure were out of her grasp. I have forgiven, but I cant forget,he said. The end to the complicated relationship they shared fanned his cruelty into a bonfire. Her parents had never taught her how to use a toilet, so she was completely incontinent. Her inability to use grammar provides evidence for the critical period hypothesis. ApolloEight Genesis/YouTubeThe home in which Genie Wiley was raised by her abusive parents. For the first 13 years of her life, Genie Wiley suffered unimaginable abuse and neglect at the hands of her parents. Without any conclusive results, the case study lost funding, and Genie was placed in foster care by the state. She failed to develop language, partially because she never attended formal education, but also partially because her father would growl and bark at Genie like a dog. She was put in an asylum. Clark and Irene were charged with child neglect and abuse. Clark committed suicide before he could go to court and face his crimes. Curtiss explained that For many of us, our thoughts are verbally encoded. She was born in April of 1957 and was the fourth (and second surviving) child to unstable parents, Irene and Clark Wiley. He hated the noise and stress they brought along. Genie, The Feral Child - Practical Psychology An abuse case was immediately opened against both parents, but Clark Wiley would kill himself shortly before trial. Robert Clark, the couples second child, was born in 1949 and died two days later, possibly as a result of neglect. She had recently left her abusive husband. Genie has lost contact with the doctors she once knew. It is forbidden to speak to or contact Genie while she is in foster care. Clark, in a move of extreme cowardice, killed himself before his trial. Genie quickly began growing and gaining weight, gradually becoming more confident in her movements, and after a while, she had good hand-eye coordination. Their story has been told in countless movies.). She also saw that Genie Wiley was beginning puberty at this time, a sign that her health was strengthening. The police were notified immediately. The widely accepted conclusion is that Genies scientist caregivers failed her, all except for Susan Curtiss. Under the care of her medical and rehabilitation team, Genie began to make significant progress. Genie learned to play, dress, and enjoy music. For those four years, Wiley became the center of these scientists lives. By the time Genie's plight was discovered by police, John, then 18, had run away from home, terrified of a father who was increasingly angry and violent. Immediately, Clark told Dorothy to keep him quiet. In one hand, a walking stick to guide her through the city. Does language make us human? abuse she was incapable of crying. She remains a ward of the state, and has not been in direct contact with the researchers that studied and took care of her after her rescue. Genies father hated the sound (crying, screaming) of his daughter. The arrangement also gave the Genie Team more access to her. When his son came back to the house, he had to identify himself in various ways to be let in. Believing she was mentally retarded, Clark Wiley locked his daughter away, separating her from her nearly blind mother and 6-year-old brother, under the guise of protecting her. Discover our four plan options The window was covered with aluminum foil to reflect out the sunlight. From the moment that Genie was rescued, she was examined. In recent years, John, a diabetic without health insurance, also survived a heart attack. Genie the Feral Childs case did help to establish that there is a point beyond which total language fluency is impossible if the subject does not already speak one language fluently. This would coincide with the size of the room that she was kept in. Genie started to attend nursery school, further broadening her vocabulary. An older brother, John, also lived in the home. Clark had no desire to be a father, as made evident by the way he treated his children. Your email address will not be published. Her intensely abusive father and helpless mother so neglected Wiley that she hadnt learned to speak and her growth was so stunted that she looked like she was no more than eight years old. Genie Wileys mother was nearly blind which she later said kept her from interceding on her daughters behalf. Her situation, which could never be ethically duplicated, needed to be studied. [] Not spit. This demonstrated that language is different from thought. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this sites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. On November 20, 1970 Clark killed himself leaving behind two suicide notes. Wiley's youngest daughter suffered the most abuse from her father yet still survived. She also performed admirably in intelligence tests. Up until the late 1960s, it was largely believed by linguists that children could not learn language after puberty. She still had to wear diapers and would often involuntarily release bodily fluids when stressed or upset. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Soon, Genie was shifted to the Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Two of John's older siblings had died mysteriously as infants: a 2-month-old sister died after her cries prompted Clark to wrap her in a receiving blanket and leave her in a bureau drawer in the garage. "It was a cage for the child. You might be surprised to learn that not all feral children are raised in the wilderness by wolves or gorillas. Genie definitely engaged with the world. Wiley Magnet Middle School / Front page - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County After a recent arrest for drunken driving his second John has lost his driver's license and bicycles to house painting jobs, when the weather and sporadic construction projects permit. Some experts believe sexual abuse may have been involved, due to Wileys later sexually inappropriate behavior, particularly involving older men. Next week, we will examine what happened to Genie after her rescue and hospitalization. PracticalPie.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. Wiley underwent multiple rehabilitation steps and was administered many emotional and cognitive tests to assess her condition. Genie was a child who was born healthy, but raised in an environment with severe neglect and abuse. Despite the progress she displayed at the Riglers, once the funding ended for the study in 1975, Wiley went to live with her mother for a brief period. Within a year, Genies mother sued many of the researchers involved in Genies case. Clark told Dorothy that he believed that Genie would not live to be 12 years old and that, if she did, he would allow her mother to take her and seek help. For all their contributions to understanding human nature, the Genie Team was not without its critics. Soon he ventured on a cross-country trip, working odd jobs at a gas stations and factories, and eventually in construction in the Southwest. She also became a testament to what happens when medical and social services fail a victim of abuse. The third child, John, survived but suffered under the care of an abusive further. Unfortunately, we never really paid attention to him. Genies father, Clark Wiley, never wanted to have children, but after marrying Irene Oglesby, the children came and died. At the end of season 1, the MIU team, comprised of George Adjei and Norma Callahan, visited Lucinda, who was almost murdered by Zubair Singh, the owner of the Wellspring Pharmacy Chain, with information.They informed her that Eva Tait, the wife of Dr. In her infancy, Genie appeared fairly normal. That was also part of the breakdown that turned her treatment into such a tragedy.. Wiley showed that grammar becomes inexplicable to children without training between five and 10, but communication and language remains entirely attainable. Doctors and scientists took over Genies care while she was in the hospital. The scientists had a specimen that they could use to test the 1967 Lenneberg theory that claimed that children couldnt learn after puberty. The state offices along with one of She could create all sorts of complex structures from sticks. An investigation into her father, Clark, revealed a sordid and dark past wrought with previous instances of child abuse and neglect. Investigators who looked into her well-being reported back that she was happy, and although she didnt use much verbal communication, she did take to sign language. Exclusive shows & extensions. She could hold a set of pictures so they told a story. Genie was by far the most damaged child they had ever seen. She exhibited bizarre behaviors, some that could be explained by her childhood and others that appeared to have no explanation. However, the wrangles between scientists about the best course for her care and development caused inconsistencies in her records, forcing the National Institute of Mental Health to withdraw funding. Wiley was eventually placed in a number of foster homes, some of which were also abusive. Linguistic development of Genie - Wikipedia Her real name is Susan Wiley. Genie was weak, malnourished, and filthy. Speaking in hushed, often expressionless tones, he detailed a life spent struggling through alcohol abuse, divorce and estrangement from his own daughter. Genies significant progress He was abusive to his wife and son when they engaged with her as well. If she did have mental and developmental disabilities, like her father believed as an infant, the impact of his cruelty would be a less prominent factor in her delays. Background. John was forced to assist his father in abusing Genie. Her battle with dementia explained, How did Dr. Charles Stanley die? But it's never too late.". Her mother was almost entirely blind by this time . The Wileys' case has striking similarities to the horror unfolding in Austria, where a Nazi-like father locked his daughter in a sunless basement for 24 years, and she bore him seven children through incest, three of whom were forced to live with her in the underground enclosure before being freed late last month. He kept her strapped into a toddler toilet as a sort of straight-jacket, and she wasnt potty-trained. Im pretty sure shes still alive because Ive asked each time I called and they told me shes well, Curtiss said. Like so many people with special needs, she fell through the cracks of proper care. The name of the facility is unknown, and the private foundation responsible for her care refuses to divulge the information. A title that would perfectly encapsulate what her life was to become. With over 2 million YouTube subscribers, over 500 articles, and an annual reach of almost 12 million students, it has become one of the most popular sources of psychological information. However, John toldABC Newsthat he still retains optimism: They didnt give me the tools, the knowledge about accomplishment and setting goals and the Bible and God. Follow I Can't Believe It's NonFiction on WordPress.com. Since then, he has shunned almost any association or documentation of his past. Nonetheless, the first baby girl did come along and Wiley left the child in the garage to freeze to death when she wouldn't be quiet. Genies posture was hunched, and she avoided eye contact. Dorothy, then, dedicated herself to Genie. They never let me have any contact with her. But he was so little a part of the direction of the case. 2023 Mysterious Facts | All Rights Reserved. She was, however, diagnosed with a congenital hip dislocation. And then there were the outliers, like Jean Butler, a rehabilitation teacher who saw in Genie an opportunity to gain fame. Genie, The Feral Child, part 1 - I Can't Believe It's NonFiction