Defense attorneys say that four adopted children of a Georgia couple were never abused. Their adoptive parents, the Burtons, have pleaded guilty to one count of second degree child cruelty – a lesser charge than molestation and 28 counts of child cruelty. The guilty plea is an acknowledgement of neglect when it comes to nutrition for the children.
The couple was sentenced to 25 consecutive weekends in jail. Defense attorneys say that the children fabricated the abuse because of trauma earlier in their lives – trauma that took place before the Burtons adopted them. The four children now range in age from 13-19 and have been adopted into another family.
