Michigan doctor, wife accused of locking son with special needs in closet
- A 10-year-old boy with special needs was repeatedly locked and forced to sleep in a modified closet where he defecated, officials say.
- The boy was checked for possible frostbite after police got involved.
- Dr. Colin and Carrie Irish are charged with second-degree child abuse.
- The Irish family could not be reached for comment and the office of their lawyer declined to comment.
A Michigan doctor and his wife are accused of locking their 10-year-old son with special needs in a closet for hours a day over several months, at times forcing him to clean his own feces.
It's the latest case of reported child abuse in the nation, where about 320,808 parents were perpetrators in 2023, according to the Administration for Children and Families' Child Maltreatment report. The group is housed under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Colin Irish, 57, and Carrie Irish, 49, of Marquette Township were arrested this week and charged with second-degree child abuse in the Michigan case. The township is in Marquette County on the northern side of Michigan's Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior's shore.
A school made an allegation to Child Protective Services, which then contacted the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, Sheriff Greg Zyburt said in a call with the Detroit Free Press, part of the Paste BN NETWORK.
The same day, the Irish's three minor children in the home were removed, and the 10-year-old boy was taken to a hospital to be checked for possible frostbite on his feet before being placed with a foster family, the officials said.
Son forced to sleep in closet
Investigators believe Colin and his wife forced the 10-year-old to sleep on the closet floor wearing only underwear and refused to provide a blanket, pillow or mattress.
The closet was modified with an exterior lock on the door to keep the child from exiting, said Marquette County Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Jason Hart. The closet was also modified with plastic sheet panels and linoleum flooring, the Marquette County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook, officials said. The closet had no heating vents or windows.
The child defecated and urinated in the closet multiple times and then was forced to clean it, which left a strong odor of cleaning solution in the air, the sheriff's office said.
Though officials said they could not comment on how the possible frostbite would have developed, they said it is believed any injuries to the child would have happened inside the house. It’s not believed that the other children were ever placed in the closet.
Sheriff’s officials declined to release more information on the 10-year-old’s special needs or the ages of the other children but said the other children were minors and male.
Colin and Carrie Irish were arrested Tuesday and arraigned the same day, with each parent charged with second-degree child abuse, officials said. The couple posted all or a portion of their $25,000 cash or surety bonds for release. They have a probable cause conference on Thursday at the 96th District Court in Marquette County.
Second-degree child abuse is punishable by up to 10 years in prison upon conviction for a first offense in Michigan. The couple has been ordered not to have contact with their three children, officials said.
Attempts to reach the couple for comment were unsuccessful. When asked to be allowed to speak with their lawyer Daniel Mead, a person at his office said, “No comment.”
The case remains under investigation and it is possible the couple could face additional charges, Hart said.
Colin Irish is an osteopathic doctor. A website for his practice did not appear to be functional Thursday; it previously showed he had a family medicine practice in Marquette.
On the site, he is described as serving in the Marine Corps. Pictures show he and his wife smiling with three little boys in what looks like a kiddie pool. Another photo showed the doctor and a little boy smiling in kitchen aprons.
Parental child abuse cases growing across the nation
The couple's case is the latest in which parents are accused in connection with child abuse.
Also in Michigan, 34-year-old Kelli Bryant is being held on a $250 million bond after police found her three children living alone in a condo. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office found the kids living around piles of garbage, human feces and mold in Pontiac, which is about 25 miles northwest of Detroit.
The office said Bryant abandoned her children about four or five years ago and their father wasn't involved in their lives. The children told police they watched TV and played video games to pass the time. One of her children told police Bryant or a stranger would drop off food weekly for them.
Bryant faces three counts of first-degree child abuse.
In Florida, a 43-year-old man faces murder, kidnapping, child abuse and other charges for killing three people and kidnapping his 4-year-old daughter, which triggered a statewide Amber Alert. Police said Nathan Gingles shot and killed Mary Gingles, David Ponzer and Andrew Ferrin in Tamarac, Florida, about 40 miles northwest of Miami.
In California, a father was arrested after he got drunk and fell asleep on his infant child, according to police. The child died at the scene and Daniel Eastman was charged with manslaughter and child abuse resulting in death.
If you or someone you know is a victim of child abuse, please call, text, or chat with the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1(800) 422-4453 or visit childhelphotline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.