Celebrities give their children unusual names, and most people raise an eyebrow. Apple, Moon Unit, Zeppelin and Pirate — yes, even Blanket — are fodder for late-night comedians. But if someone heard that name in a Chicago fast food restaurant, chances are good that no one would accuse the parents of abuse and launch a court action for custody of the child.
Would that be true, though, if a parent asked a grocery store bakery clerk to write “Adolph Hitler” on a child’s birthday cake?
The answer is likely no. The clerk would alert authorities, who, in turn, would discover that Adolph Hitler’s sister is named Aryan Nation.
Almost three years after their children were taken into foster care, the parents of Adolph Hitler and Aryan Nation say the abuse and neglect charges against them have been dismissed. They say the charges were brought solely because of their children’s names. Authorities say otherwise.
Court records show that investigators removed the children from the home after finding evidence of abuse or neglect. The parents appealed the decision, but the appellate panel affirmed and said that investigators had evidence of domestic abuse as well. The two kids and their sibling, who has a more common name, have not lived with their parents since January 2009.
Authorities also found that the mother and father had themselves been victims of abuse and that both parents have physical and psychological disabilities. Records also indicate that neither parent has a full-time job.
Family services personnel have denied since the beginning that the names were a factor in placing the children in foster care. The main concerns were always abuse and parental incompetence.
The parents, in violation of a gag order, told the press recently that the court will decide in December if their children can come home.
Source: NBCPhiladelphia.com, “Hitler’s Parents Claim Judge Found No Abuse of Little Adolf, Aryan Nation,” Teresa Masterson, Oct. 27, 2011
