Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

6 Children of John and Carolyn Caminiti

Content note: Case narratives include descriptions of severe violence inflicted on children, including abuse and neglect, sexual violence, torture, and murder, as well as mentions of suicide and domestic violence. They also include photos of victims and perpetrators of violence.

caminitis
Six children—four boys (CM, b. 1993; JC, b. 1995; LK, b. 1998; and KD, b. 2005) and two girls (RJ, b. 2000; and TR, b. 2007)—were abused by their father, John Caminiti (right). Their mother, Carolyn Caminiti, was both a victim and a perpetrator of the abuse. All six children had been homeschooled since the Caminitis moved to Wisconsin from Michigan in 2005 to join the Aleitheia Bible Church. ABC, which is led by John’s brother Phil Caminiti (left), teaches strict corporal punishment of its children.

The four youngest children (LK, RJ, KD and TR) were beaten often with a wooden dowel for disobedience. The children were rarely allowed to play with other children or to leave the house. The four oldest children (CM, JC, LK, and RJ) were often confined to their rooms and prevented from eating with the rest of the family as punishment for disobedience and for expressing their feelings. In January 2010, 14-year-old CM was confined to his room for a period of three weeks.

Eight people in the ABC, including Phil and John Caminiti and two of Phil’s adult children, were charged with child abuse of children in the church. John Caminiti was sentenced to one year in prison followed by eight years of probation where he would not be permitted to see his children.

Date: November 19, 2010
Location:
Black Earth, Wisconsin

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Documents: Date:
State of Wisconsin vs. John R. Caminiti 11-19-2010
Eight arrested in Dane Co. church child abuse investigation 03-21-2011
Wisconsin church members are accused of child abuse 03-25-2011
Pastor’s brother pleads guilty to child abuse for corporal punishment of kids 06-01-2011
Black Earth man gets year in prison for beating, emotionally abusing his children 08-04-2011