Seems like I've heard this story somewhere before...
English article:
http://http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2011/march/22/costarica11032204.htmPANI Rescues 20 Young Americans Who Suffered Various Attacks
The Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI) - Costa Rica's child welfare agency - says it rescued on Monday a group of 20 American minors who allegedly received psychological and physical abuse by managers of a reformatory in Puntarenas.
The academy "Teen Mentor" has been operating since 2010 in the Hotel Carra in Tarcoles de Garabito, Puntarenas.
The PANI took the action to intervene following complaints from three psychologists at the academy. Ten children were transferred directly to a PANI shelter, while the case is still in under investigation.
Parents paid from us$600 per month to keep their children between the ages of 13 and 18 in the program.
PANI officials say all the youths found in the academy on Monday were all Americans.
Jorge Urbina, manager of the PANI, told the media on Monday that the U.S. Embassy in San José was in the process of notifying all the parents to come get theri children.
http://http://www.nacion.com/2011-03-22/Sucesos/NotaPrincipal/Sucesos2722171.aspxNeed someone to translate this one. Some details from this article according to some machine translation:
The academy was closed after complaints from three psychologists who had worked at the program to PANI.
There were 21 minors in the program
The allegations involve physical and psychological abuse, isolation, severed communication between students and their families, lack of medical supervision, lack of proper education, lack of recreation programs promised by the school's advertising
The program lacked the proper permits to operate in Costa Rica
The corporation registered as owning the school lists Robert Walter Lichfield as owner, article speculates as to relationship between this person and former PIllars of Hope/Dundee Ranch (also raided by authorities) owner Narvin Lichfield
A PANI official is quoted saying that children were forced to sign a document stating they were at the school of their own free will, threatened with 8 days in an isolation room if they did not comply.