Griffin Police Department
According to a recent article from NBC, a pastor and his wife were detained for false imprisonment after the authorities found people locked in the basement at their home in Georgia. In a statement the police said that, “Curtis Keith Bankston and Sophia Simm-Bankston were running the unlicensed “group home” out of their rented Griffin house “under the guise of a church known as One Step of Faith 2nd Chance.”
As the investigation continues detectives report that all of the people found had mental or physical disabilities, their ages ranging from 25-65 years old.
The source says that the couple had complete control over the finances, medications, and benefits of each victim. The Bankstons even, “denied them their medications and medical care, according to police.” The crimes committed against these people are disgusting and horrendous, but this case also poses an important question: How and why did this happen?
NBC explains that three of the victims were placed into housing through the Georgia Department of Human Services. The other 5 are under the care of the state, meaning that these people were and still are susceptible to court assigned guardianship.
The Georgia Law describes guardianship as allowing a court assigned person to, “make decisions for an adult who has lost sufficient capacity to make or communicate significant responsible decisions concerning his or her health or safety.” The dynamic is similar to a relationship between children and their parents.
The guardian has total autonomy over the money, medications, and the government benefits of the person they are assigned to. This is exactly what happened to the victims of the Bankston case.
Although guardianship is helpful to people who have caretakers that desire to do good, it can be hell for those who get stuck in situations like this one. The elderly and people who suffer from mental and physical health challenges can get taken advantage of or harmed in the process.
Guardianship should continue to be a law in states for those who have it. As it continues, there needs to be more thorough background checks, and regulations when it comes to who the guardian is and where they are located.
The Bankston Case is devastating, and there are still so many other people who might have fallen victim to the same system. Hopefully more is done in the future to protect disadvantaged groups from being manipulated.
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