In a shocking turn of events, former YouTuber and parenting advisor Ruby Franke has been revealed as an abuser of her own children, according to a harrowing account involving her 12-year-old son and the release of her personal journals. The details that have emerged paint a chilling picture of the extent to which Franke, alongside her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, went to inflict what they believed was necessary discipline on Franke’s children, driven by a twisted interpretation of religious teachings.
The case came to light when Franke’s son, malnourished and bruised, sought help from a neighbor in Ivins, Utah, leading to the arrest of Franke and Hildebrandt. The subsequent police investigation uncovered a pattern of abuse that was both physical and psychological, with the children being starved, forced into manual labor, and subjected to extreme punishments. The abuse was rationalized by Franke and Hildebrandt as a means to rid the children of evil spirits and sins, a belief system that has been denounced by the broader Mormon community from which they come.
The journals of Ruby Franke, which were part of the evidence released, offer a disturbing insight into the mindset of the abuser. In entries that are difficult to stomach, Franke describes the abuse in detail, including the withholding of food with the justification, “I will not feed a demon.” This documentation of abuse is a stark contrast to the image of a caring, family-oriented mother that Franke projected on her YouTube channel “8 Passengers.”
The case has also brought to light the dangers of religious extremism and the potential for it to be used as a justification for abuse. Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke’s statement underscores the severity of the situation, as he describes the conditions the children were subjected to as “concentration camp-like.”
As the legal proceedings unfolded, Franke and Hildebrandt were sentenced to significant prison time, and the children were taken into state custody. The fallout from the case has been extensive, with Franke’s husband filing for divorce and her family expressing their shock and lack of awareness of her actions.
This case serves as a cautionary tale about the potential for online personas to mask the reality of what happens behind closed doors. It also raises important questions about the responsibility of content creators, especially those who position themselves as authorities on parenting, to be truthful and ethical in their public and private lives.
The story of Ruby Franke is a sobering reminder of the complexities of human behavior and the often hidden realities behind curated online images. It is a call to remain vigilant and critical of the content we consume and the individuals we look up to, especially when they hold positions of influence over vulnerable audiences.
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