An Oregon-based family, including a woman and her parents, are currently in custody, facing multiple charges related to child abuse, as per law enforcement reports. Sarah Marie Session, 33, along with her parents, Gary Hardenburg, 65, and Paula Hardenburg, 60, were indicted by a grand jury last week on numerous allegations of child abuse.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Session is facing the most severe charges, which include second-degree attempted murder, assault, criminal mistreatment, and coercion. Her parents, on the other hand, are charged with criminal mistreatment and tampering with evidence. Following the indictment, the family trio seemed to be evading law enforcement, but were eventually located in a hotel in Coos County, along the coast of Oregon, and taken into custody.
Details of the allegations were obtained by local media outlets from the indictment documents. The alleged incidents reportedly took place between June 1, 2023, and February 6, 2024. Session is accused of subjecting a child under the age of 10 to severe abuse, including forcing him to consume his own vomit and assaulting him with curtain rods and a window stopper. She is also alleged to have denied the child food and medical care.
Session, who is a licensed teacher working with special education students, reportedly showed no remorse for her actions, according to the police. She is a mother of three, including a step-child from a previous marriage. It remains unclear whether the alleged crimes took place at her residence, at a school, or a combination of both locations.
The indictment documents reportedly highlighted that Session had violated her professional responsibility to care for and educate children. The charges were filed following an extensive investigation into the family, during which nearly 20 witnesses testified before the grand jury. The specific allegations against the Hardenburgs have not been publicly disclosed by the authorities.
After their arrest in Coos County, the family was transported to the Deschutes County Jail, where they are being held without bond. A court hearing for the trio is scheduled for the upcoming Monday.