Left: Praise Gahn. Right: Zarkpa Green (Polk County Sheriff’s Office).
A pair of Iowa therapy workers is accused of trapping people with special needs in a basement while refusing to give them their prescribed medications.
Praise Gahn, 22, and Zarkpa Green, 44, used a metal bar to barricade the adults in the basement of a home operated by the local nonprofit Balance Autism in Polk County, according to a criminal complaint obtained by local NBC affiliate WHO and local CBS affiliate KCCI.
Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show that the two women were booked into the Polk County Jail last week on charges of dependent adult abuse – serious misdemeanor and wanton neglect of dependent adult – serious misdemeanor.
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The pair was responsible for the care of the victims between March and May, when the alleged mistreatment occurred. They are accused of repeatedly mishandling and refusing to give the adults their prescribed medication while locking them up in the basement.
The group they were working for, Balance Autism, describes itself online as a “leading autism service organization, providing a balance of innovative therapy and passionate care,” according to its website.
“We develop and implement innovative solutions to engage people with autism,” the Balance Autism website says. “We strive to balance science with imagination, evidence with creativity, and research with compassion to teach people with autism.”
Describing its approach to working with people, the website adds, “From Admission to Transition, we empower the individual with the support they need to achieve real-world goals. Along the way, we tailor our approach to meet their needs, bringing together compassionate people, creative solutions and scientifically proven methods to make a lasting impact. It’s how we find balance for life.”
The Altoona Police Department was alerted and an investigation led to an internal audit of the medications, which allegedly showed multiple errors, including medications not being dispensed at all by Gahn and Green.
Gahn admitted during an interview that she had not given medication to the victims, police told WHO.
Gahn’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 19, while Green has a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 21.
Balance Autism could not be reached for comment Sunday.
The post People with special needs trapped and locked away in basement, therapy workers barricaded door with metal bar and refused to give them medication: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.
