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In a bizarre case that emerged in the 80s, Malden daycare Fells Acres emerged as the center of a s*xual abuse scandal when multiple children came forward accusing the Amirault family members of performing s*x acts with them. The family included Violet Amirault, the daycare's founder, her daughter Cheryl, and son Gerald.
Trigger warning: This article contains information about s*xual abuse. Readers' discretion is advised.
The case soon made headlines and is considered one of the most high-profile s*xual abuse cases of all time. All three accused were tried between 1986 and 1987 and were found guilty, receiving lengthy prison sentences. They have since been released from prison.
However, over the years, people have expressed their beliefs claiming that the Amirault family was likely innocent and that those children were persuaded into falsely accusing them of abuse.
ID's What Happened at Fells Acres? airs on the channel this Wednesday, June 7, further delving into the daycare's scandal and the controversy that followed. The synopsis states:
"The town of Malden, Mass., erupts with outrage after a child attending a family-run day care makes s*xual abuse claims; as the allegations build with more and more children coming forward, people start wondering what's really happening."
Fells Acres s*xual abuse case: Four quick facts about the Malden-based daycare scandal from the 80s
1) A four-year-old claimed his pants were pulled down
On Labor Day in 1984, a four-year-old boy who attended the Fells Acres daycare reportedly told his family that Gerald Amirault, who looked after the maintenance, cooking, and other things at the daycare, "pulled down his pants" on one occasion. The child also revealed that he found a blindfold and took him to the "secret room" to perform s*x acts with him.
2) Other allegations about the family performing bizarre acts with the children soon surfaced
After the Labor Day revelation, other children from the daycare between the ages of three and six came forward alleging that they were made to engage in s*x acts and other bizarre acts by or in the presence of the Amirault family members.
These allegations mentioned instances when children were made to drink their own urine and were involved with robots, as well as murdered and buried animals. A "robot like R2D2" from Star Wars would allegedly bite the children on their arms whenever they refused to have s*x.
Others claimed that they were photographed at "nude swimming parties," tied to trees naked, and often beaten by Gerald dressed as a clown. The children called him the "bad clown" because he would allegedly "throw fire around the room" while abusing them.
3) The Amirault family members were convicted and sentenced to prison
The case involving Violet Amirault and her two children Gerald and Cheryl relied upon all the information gathered during these interviews with multiple children from the Fells Acres daycare. During these interviews, it was reportedly revealed that the children were r*ped using, knives, sticks, forks, and "magic wands."
In 1986, Gerald Amirault was found guilty for the assault and r*pe of nine children and was sentenced to 30 to 40 years in prison. The following years, his mother Violet and sister Cheryl were also convicted on similar charges in the case of four children. They were given eight to 20 years of prison time. Reports state that during the two separate trials, children, victimized by them, testified in open court.
4) The case was criticized for relying on information given by children
Over the years, the case has been criticized for relying on information provided by children to prosecute and convict Fells Acres' Amirault family. Most of the evidence involved recorded interviews with the children in which many repeatedly claimed that there were no secret rooms or clowns and that nothing had happened to them at the daycare. But when the questioning continued, they changed their statements and started saying that these things happened to them.
People believed that the children were persuaded and tricked into making certain accusations. There was improper interviewing and investigation into the matter.
Cheryl and Violet appealed and got their sentences reduced in October 1992 and were released in 1995. Within two years, the latter passed away and Cherly struck a plea deal to avoid going to prison again. Meanwhile, Gerald Amirault served 18 years in prison and was released in 2004, but remains in the s*x offenders registry and wears an ankle bracelet which is used to monitor his movements.
Learn more about the Fells Acres scandal on ID's What happened at Fells Acres?
