Wednesday, May 20, 1998

This child 'is a kind, loving little girl’

By Bob Greene

CHILTON, Wis. -- "She is a...."

He paused, trying to make sure he chose the next word carefully. "She is a saintly looking little girl," he said.

He was referring to the child -- now 8 -- who allegedly was locked repeatedly overnight in a basement dog cage by her parents, Michael and Angeline Rogers. The man speaking was Tim Paterson, who lives in Winnebago County. He and his wife have gotten to know the little girl in the months since she was rescued by Brillion, Wis., police. They have baby-sat for her, they have visited with her in church -- they know her as a person, not just as a phrase in a news story.

That is why they wanted to speak with us -- so, as the trial approaches, people will understand what kind of a child she really is.

"She just seems so bright and shining these days when she smiles. She seems like she knows she is safe now -- that she is happy. I just can’t imagine anyone being mad at her, much less doing the things to her that were done.

"She is a little girl who should be the apple of any parent’s eye. Why anyone would ever want to hurt her ..."

Paterson’s voice trailed off. Next week -- on Tuesday, May 26 -- the trial of Angeline Rogers is scheduled to begin at the Calumet County courthouse here in Chilton. Michael Rogers has pleaded guilty to four felony counts of child abuse and awaits sentencing, but Angeline has rejected a plea offer that would spare the children from having to testify, and apparently is going to go to trial. At least three of the Rogers’ five children are expected to be brought to court to testify.

If Angeline Rogers and her attorney are able to persuade a jury that Michael Rogers alone was responsible for the abuse of the children -- Calumet County District Atty. Ken Kratz and Brillion police say Michael and Angeline both repeatedly abused the children -- then Angeline Rogers is expected to demand that all the children be sent back to her.

Which is what made this conversation with Tim and Joan Paterson so instructive. They go to the same church as Chris and Stephanie Rogers -- Michael Rogers’ brother and sister-in-law, who have been caring for the girl and who, by all accounts, are doing a fine job in an extremely difficult situation. When Mr. and Mrs. Paterson baby-sat for the little girl and her two youngest brothers (before the boys were sent to a different foster home), they were overwhelmed by the emotion of it all.

"This is a kind, loving little girl who seems so hungry for hugs and kisses," Joan Paterson said. "She wraps her arms around your neck and she won’t let go."

The thought of what the child allegedly endured at the hands of her parents -- the nights in the dog cage, being deprived of food, being made to lie in her own waste, the confinement in a closed plastic container, the beatings that were reportedly given to her and her brothers -- "makes my stomach hurt," Mrs. Paterson said.

There were small and deeply moving signs of what the child had been through, she said. When Mrs. Paterson was holding her own baby, the 8-year-old girl commented how pretty the Paterson child was. Mrs. Paterson said, "You’re very pretty, too."

And the girl, Mr. and Mrs. Paterson said, looked back at her as if that was the oddest concept in the world -- that someone would tell her she was pretty. The child seemed momentarily startled by the thought.

When Chris and Stephanie Rogers dropped the children off at the Patersons’ house (they had to meet with the children’s teachers at school), the children at first appeared to be a little nervous. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers assured them the Patersons were kind people; according to the Patersons, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers told the children gently, "No, no, don’t worry -- there won’t be any yelling here."

As the little girl heals, there are indications apparent even to non-family members that the childhood she has endured is so much different from the childhoods children should be given. When Mr. and Mrs. Paterson were baby-sitting for the girl and her two brothers, the Patersons got out some crayons and paper so the children could draw.

The little girl drew a house with parents and children standing on the lawn outside. The children and the adults were crying.

As Angeline Rogers’ trial date grows near, the people who love the children -- the five Rogers children are now living in four separate foster homes -- are fearful of what the girl and her brothers may be put through in court. They want to spare them any more pain.

We have been able to develop at least a partial picture of what the trial of Angeline Rogers will be like for those children. It is not a pleasant prospect.

Chicago Tribune