Good Instincts
Like everyone else, I have been following (and fascinated by) the story of Jaycee Dugard, found 18 years after she was kidnapped. Now 29, she has two daughters, apparently fathered by her kidnapper. It will take a long time to understand why she did not take opportunities to leave her kidnapper, but we adults often forget how very vulnerable children are, and how powerless they feel.
For now, though, I want to focus on the police work that led to the discovery. A Berkeley police officer says that she sensed something very wrong with the relationship between the kidnapper and the two younger children, but did not have strong enough facts to warrant a report to protective services. Fortunately, she did not leave the question there, but called the kidnapper's parole officer, who was surprised to learn that he claimed to have two daughters. That officer's interview led to the unravelling of the entire affair.
It is good that the Berkeley officer followed up on her suspicions. Law enforcement officers always have to make difficult judgment calls, and always have someone second-guessing them. This time, it was the right call.
