A prosecutor in Missouri reported on Tuesday that he had charged five employees of a Christian college with abusing students.
The employees of the Agape Boarding School, a Christian school for "rebellious" boys in Stockton in Missouri, have been charged with 13 third-degree felony assault charges.
The Kansas City Star newspaper first discovered evidence of abuse occurring for several years on campus. The Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the allegations of abuse at the school as well. Former students have also testified at legislative hearings, arguing that they had reported the abuse to county authorities in the past, only to be ignored.
After reviewing the case, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt recommended prosecuting 22 of Agape's employees with 65 counts of assault on behalf of 36 victims. These charges would have also included child abuse, tampering with victims and endangering the welfare of a child. However, this is typically left to county prosecutors in the state of Missouri.
Victims have expressed disapproval at the number of charges. "It's one-third of the people who should be charged, and he lowered the charges," said Brett Harper, a former student at Agape ,who has actively pushed for an investigation into the boarding school. "Nobody would call that justice."
