Shocking E-Mails From Dr. Paul Reitman - Grazzini-Rucki Case

 (Originally Posted: 7/10/2019) 
 

(Screenshot of Paul Reitman from 2013 Minneapolis Fox interview)

Shocking New Development in the Grazzini-Rucki Case: In a remarkable set of emails, Dr. Paul M. Reitman, PHD, a  Clinical/Forensic Psychologist located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, admits the family court in Dakota County, and its presiding judge David Knutson, had a bias against Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and that he was paid $100,000 for his work, which included (falsely) diagnosing her with Parental Alienation Syndrome (in August 2012).  After Dr. Reitman's recommendation that the Rucki children immediately be removed from their mother's custody and placed in foster care,  Grazzini-Rucki was forcibly removed from her home and has been homeless ever since September 2012.

 Reitman Claims Court Bias Against Sandra Grazzini-Rucki <--Read the Full Article By Michael Volpe Here

It should be noted that on April 12, 2013, just days before the two Grazzini-Rucki sisters ran away, due in part to Dr. Reitman's recommendation and the courts' failure to protect them from abuse, Dr. Reitman published an editorial titled In divorce, alienation a big risk in which the Grazzini-Rucki case is referenced.  Reitman admits that Parental Alienation sydrome was not considered a valid psychiatric disorder at the time he "diagnosed" Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and her 5 children. Dr. Reitman said,"Parental Alienation Syndrome, while rejected by the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-V, still remains to be a real phenomenon in my own professional opinion..."  

"The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the handbook used by health care professionals in the United States and much of the world as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. DSM contains descriptions, symptoms, and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders." What is DSM and why is it important?

Since Parental Alienation has been rejected by the APA, its "cure" ie de-programming and reunification therapy also had not been professionally accepted as valid form of medical treatment at the time it was forced on the five Rucki children.  

Dakota County Judge David Knuston

The e-mails resulted after an exchange between Dr. Reitman and investigative reporter, Michael Volpe.

"'Because the court hated her don't you know that of course I was court appointed by the judge and given a $100000 didn't know that',  Reitman said in one of approximately fifty emails sent to me on July 8, 2019. 

Paul Reitman was appointed in late August 2012; he held one session with SGR and four of her five children- her son Nico did not attend- which lasted approximately a half hour. He then wrote a report and recommended Jim Gilbertson; that was the sum total of his contribution to the case. 

If his email is accurate, he would have made thousands of dollars per hour..."

 As a result of Dr. Reitman's report, an "emergency" telephone conference was held on September 5, 2012. Family court emergency hearings, by law, are reserved for issues that pose an immediate risk to the safety of the children. Yet the Dakota County family court, Judge David Knutson, Guardian ad Litem Julie Friedrich and Dr. Reitman ALL ignore the real emergency issue before them -- allegations of child sexual abuse. 

Minnesota Guardian ad Litem Julie Friedrich

Page 13 of the court transcript from September 5, 2012,"(The Court) These new allegations, particularly with regarding sexual abuse and assault, which this Court has never been aware or heard anything about prior to this report from Dr. Reitman.."

Which means unnamed person reported sexual abuse to Dr. Reitman. By law, Dr. Reitman is a mandated reporter
and should have immediately contacted the proper authorities or CPS upon hearing allegations of abuse. Instead, Dr. Reitman ignores serious allegations of abuse that pose an immediate threat of harm to the Rucki children and recommends they be removed from the custody Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, the mother who fought to protect them! 

If that were not bad enough, Dr. Reitman recommends "de-programming" and "reunification therapy" with the children and the alleged perpetrator. De-programming is the process to erase memories of abuse and replace them with positive thoughts of the perpetrator. According to court records, this happened to the Rucki children by forcing them to face "the object they fear most" (taken from the notes of Dr. James Gilbertson, therapist who treated the Rucki children) or the parent who has abused them, and their memories of abuse. Once the children have become "desensitized" (entering a state of traumatic amnesia or dissociation) they are programmed to form an attachment or "reunify" with the perpetrator. In order for "reunification therapy" to work the bond with the safe, loving parent or any other object of safety must be removed so that the child has no other choice but to become totally reliant on the therapist, and the abuser, for their own survival. It seems shock, trauma and brainwashing is the only way to reunite children with an identified perpetrator of physical, mental or sexual abuse because no child would naturally want to be in contact with someone who has harmed them.

 
Judge David Knutson issued a court order on September 7, 2012, removing Grazzini-Rucki from her home and moving in her ex-husband's sister Tammi Love to care for the five Rucki children. Love had previously lost custody of her own children due to drug abuse.

In June 2012, prior to being appointed to the Grazzini-Rucki case, Dr. Reitman faced disciplinary action for improper dual relationships, substandard documentation, and failure to protect client privacy. REITMAN AGREEMENT FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION

Dr. Reitman used Grazzini-Rucki case to re-establish his career, and promote himself as a parental alienation expert.  

Reitman says about the Grazzini-Rucki case in the article published on April 12, 2013 (cited above): " It is my opinion that this deprogramming would be impossible to achieve if children continue to live with the parent they are aligned with. Although this is potentially controversial, the children would likely benefit in the long-term from being placed with a neutral relative, or in a therapeutic foster home.

I had a case whereby I recommended such a placement regarding a mother who was entrenched in resisting any type of reunification therapy, and the five children, ranging from 16 to 5, refused to see the father.  The mother, after resisting reunification therapy, then alleged sexual abuse by the father to the children.  The judge in the case did remove the children from the home. If the children are placed in a neutral environment, they will be more likely to disentangle their thoughts about the parent who has not seen them from the alienating beliefs they currently have, and reunification therapy cannot progress until this begins to happen..." 

Just a week after Dr. Reitman's article was published, the two oldest Rucki sisters ran away on April 19, 2013, after Judge Knutson again attempted to reunite them with their father, despite numerous allegations of abuse and accounts describing acts of domestic violence they had witnessed. The sisters remained in hiding for 2 years before being discovered living on a therapeutic horse ranch.

After being found in November 2015, the two Rucki girls told the court they preferred foster care over living with their father, David Rucki, and again recounted incidents of abuse at his hands.

“The girls feel it is in their best interest for Dakota County to stay involved in this case, to remain in local foster care. They promise not to run from foster care.” Said Tanya Derby, a Dakota County Assistant Public Defender who attended a hearing on November 30, 2015. Rucki Girls Wanted Foster Care Over David Rucki 

Despite their objections, the sisters were returned to their father's care after a CHIPS hearing. They were escorted from the courtroom under guard, and shipped to a rural ranch in California operated by Dr. Rebecca Bailey. The sisters were then subjected to de-programming and reunification therapy and returned to the care of their father. They would never see their mother again.

 

 A Child’s Desperate Cry for Help: 2013 Audio of S.R. Begging for Protection from Abusive Father, Dakota County Family Court

Letter from Dr. James Gilbertson to Julie Friedrich about Rucki children

Audio Testimony in the Grazzini-Rucki Case - Statements Made BEFORE De-Programming

Reposted from Red Herring Alert Blog:  https://redherringalert.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/audio-testimony/

These statements were made BEFORE Samantha Rucki was shipped out of state, under guard, and forcibly subjected to de-programming and reunification therapy after being reunited with her allegedly abusive father, David Rucki, in November 2015.

 Audio Testimony

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Dede Evavold 

  

Based on information from Carver County Corruption

Note: CCC blog was shut down after threats of lawsuit from David Rucki, the web domain has been taken over by Rucki's buddy, Michael Brodkorb. Brodkorb has diverted all traffic from the CCC blog, meaning users who attempt to access the CCC blog will be diverted to his personal blog.

Dakota County Judge David Knutson issued an order on September 7, 2012 that denied the mother (Sandra Grazzini-Rucki) of five children any contact with her children. He ordered mother to vacate her home of 15 years on the same day as the court order. She was forced to leave her home and all of her possessions which she has never been able to recover. She was denied any due process and was told she would be arrested and jailed if she refused to follow Judge Knutson’s orders.

Her wages were garnished for payment of past marital taxes even though mother has been left destitute with prior use of MN Care Insurance and food stamps after the divorce. Her ex-husband’s income is in excess of $200,000 per month and he retains all of the marital property. 

There was no hearing or any finding that Sandra ever hurt or abused any of her five children in any way. The five children, ages 10, 11, 13, 14, and 16, were ordered to live in the custody of two aunts. The four youngest children lived with their maternal aunt for almost six months without support from anyone. The children have not had or been allowed any contact with their mother except for one three-hour heavily supervised visit in late December, 2012. At that time they had not had any contact with their father. 

In court on February 26, 2013, the aunt said she was no longer willing to provide for the children. The oldest child now lives in the former home of his mother with his father, who is believed to have bought the boy’s loyalty with a car and other expensive gifts. The four youngest children did not have a relationship with their oldest brother at that time.

Why did all of this happen? In late August, 2012, Judge Knutson appointed an “expert” to make a recommendation on the parenting of the children. This expert, Dr. Paul Reitman, met with four of the children for about thirty minutes. He conducted no other evaluations, tests, or analysis. Yet, on the basis of this meeting, he issued his report that the problem was caused by the Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), a condition of the mother. Parental Alienation has been rejected by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association. They believe it to be unsubstantiated. In fact, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCI)  has published guidelines stating that “The theory positing the existence of ‘PAS’ has been discredited by the scientific community.”

Nevertheless, Judge Knutson appointed another expert, Dr. James Gilbertson, to attempt to re-unify the children with their abusive father. He said he would “reprogram” the children to like their father—he saw them 3 times in 6 months. This failed leading to the February 26, 2013 hearing. At this hearing, Dr. Gilbertson arranged for the children to appear before Judge Knutson in a conference room. Judge Knutson listened to the children’s short statements and told them he was going to issue orders that they had to follow. The mother requested information from Gilbertson and Reitman such as appointment dates, payment history, and other documents, but they were denied by the practitioners saying they are protected by the judge and do not need to follow the guidelines of their respective professional organizations. Judge Knutson did not allow the opinions of any other professionals to be heard.

The four youngest children begged to be with their mother. Their lives have been seriously disrupted. The Guardian ad Litem (GAL), Julie Friedrich, initially agreed that they belonged with their mother. Her story then changed. She told the children that everything had been given to their father, and that their mother was homeless and without a vehicle. (The children reported this information to their mother at the late December 2012 meeting.) Ms. Friedrich also informed the children that their mother was in a mental institution, in jail, had moved to Philadelphia, PA, had been fired from her job, and that mother’s whereabouts were unknown. Julie also told the children that their mother didn’t want them and that she was gone. She informed Dr. Gilbertson that no further contact between mother and children should take place. Mother was not  allowed to schedule any further visits with her children despite numerous attempts.

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and children at a “supervised visitation session” conducted by Clinical Psychologist “Dr.” James Gilbertson

Julie Friedrich: Parenting Consultant, Coach, Evaluator, Expediter, Supervisor~State of MN  

 

Minnesota Guardian ad Litem Julie Friedrich

\Julie Ann Friedrich was appointed on 7-14-2011 and removed herself on 5-17-2013.  At the September 12, 2013  Grazzini-Rucki trial,  Ms. Friedrich stated, “It got to the point where I didn’t feel I could advocate for the children due to false information that they were given.”

Letter by Samantha Rucki-2013

I, Samantha Rucki am writing this to be given the Court as quickly as possible. I ask that this be given the Court of Appeals during the week beginning April 22, 2013. I would sign before a notary public but I can’t because I do not have any identification with me. But my signature is below. Thank you.

I’m in fear for my life to live or to even be in the Ireland place home with Tammy Love. She has physical emotionally, verberelly abuse.  I have told everyone of my fears and begged them  not to put me with her  but they will not listen. I’m so afraid. I have told everyone about the abuse that I have suffered from my father and his sister Tammy.  

I was also have seen my father physical attacked my mother. 5 years a go my father’s mother (Vicki Rucki)  slapped me across the face and said I was a “little fucking bitch” , she did this because when we were with my father one day and my mom was at the store my father’s parents showed up and said they were taking us to Arizona I told her my mom had said no that she could not take us and she said I didn’t have a choice she grabbed the 3 little ones Gianna , Nia , Gino my dad and both his parents grabbed the kids put them in the car and his parents left with them I locked myself in the bathroom and called my mom. my dad would not say how to get a hold of them.  It was 5 days till we found that his parents had taken them to Arizona.  My mom went to get them  from PHX. Because they had taken them without her permission they only gave one of them back and it took more day till they would return the other ones. 

I have watched my dad beat my mom. She has  always protected us, she begged for a divorce and he always said he would never give her one until he finally agreed in the spring of 2011, and they got divorced. My mom  has not alienated us from our father in any way . the courts, Gilbertson and fridedric have lied and told us many things that weren’t true about our mother they threaten us with going to jail or said we better “comply or else” they also said stuff like I will put you in foster care and you know what they do in those a homes the abuse kids , I have begged judge Knutson to return us to our mother we all have begged he threatened us telling us he didn’t care that we wanted he was going to order us and we better follow it or else.  We told him about the abuse of my dad and his sister  and that we were afraid. My mom had also been there she always protected us and loved us and took care of us , but he said he didn’t care. I was taking to the police dept. on Friday april 18th I was told there was some kind of meeting when i went into the room it was tammy, Nancy, Jay and a officer they had gilbertson on a speaker phone  he stated that we were all going to Tammy’s she had 100 percent custody and Gilbertson said and I quote “this was the plan from the beginning” we fought back begging them not to l put us in care of tammy that we were afraid for our lives and told them that tammy and my father had abused us but they didn’t care they put us into tammy car and then we had a police escort to the Ireland place house, the police made us go into the house once the police put into the house he left, we repeated over and over again that we did not want to go that we were afraid for our lives  we wanted to go our mothers.

Judge David Knutson

We have been told so many lies by judge Knutson to our face he even went so far as to threaten us when were  in the conference with him and everyone else at the courthouse  Gilbertsin and friedrich have told so many lies that they didn’t make sense any more they were never consistent with things and when I would question they would get furious and  the would raise the voice and get very mad, when we told child protection and was interview they said they would help us but they never did we told them everything what I have been put through is reidulcus this is not a game and that’s what they have turned this into ,I have done nothing and yet I’m treated like a crimmal I’m told I have no rights I told my fathers is perfect and everything was my mother’s  fult. I  have been constituently lied too and threatened  by moxie, Reitman ,Gilbertson,  Friedreich, Knutson , child portative serveries, everyone they have sent a too its ridulcus . I’m almost 15 in over a month why are the courts trying so hard to make my mom look so bad and yet it was my father and his sister what is going on I will not be treated like this anymore.

Samantha Rucki

Social service records document allegations of abuse in the Grazzini-Rucki case, including statements made by Samantha and Gianna Rucki after being recovered in November 2015.

SamiRucki by on Scribd