Most stories of orphans are heartbreaking. Many consist of children abandoned and families that can’t take care of their children. Luckily, there’s sometimes a way out for these kids. Adoption can give them a second chance to be part of a family and feel the same love and affection from parents that other kids have. Unfortunately, the worst part of this orphan’s story begins with his adoption.
Denis Flynn was nine years old when his new family adopted him. Ralph and Carolyn Flynn became his saviors. They took him away from a frigid Russian orphanage and gave him a place in their five-bedroom home with a pool in Los Gatos, California. It was like a dream come true, but his dream soon became the worst nightmare imaginable. His adopted father soon began molesting him.
It started out only happening every once in awhile. Denis said that “Ralph called it a special occasion only, his birthday, (Carolyn’s) birthday, my birthday, Christmas present. It’s messed up.” It soon progressed to be a daily ritual, sometimes even including Carolyn. Even throughout this horrible abuse, Denis’s parents had made him completely dependent on them. He wasn’t taught about anything other than his house and the perverse life they had made for him there. The thing that scared him the most was losing his new family.
After 10 long years of being sexually abused by his parents, Denis finally stood up to his parents and said no, even running away from home to stay with a friend. Thankfully, after that incident, there was no more abuse, but Denis’s journey was far from over. He is 23 now and is finally speaking out against his parents for what they’ve done. The house that was Denis’s dream is now for sale, and he has since moved in with his friend. Ralph has been arrested, and Carolyn is out on a $ 545,000 bail.
Even though Denis had told his therapist and his teachers earlier, even going so far as to contact the sheriff’s department, he never heard back from any of them. The police department is looking deeper internally into how they handle these cases and are happy that the investigation led to the arrests of the suspects.
Hopefully, Denis’s story will be inspiring to those in abusive situations. Coming forward is the first step to recovery and justice. If you’ve been the victim of abuse, our San Jose child molestation attorneys at Alexander Law Group LLP, will help you find closure after going through such a dramatic time. If you sympathize with Denis’s story, you can help him by going to his GoFundMe page.
