A relative of YouTube mom Ruby Franke, facing child abuse charges, has come forward with shocking claims of a history of abuse within the family, spanning generations. The relative, identified as “Sally” to protect her identity, revealed disturbing parallels between the allegations against Franke and her own childhood experiences.
Sally, speaking exclusively to Law & Crime Sidebar podcast, admitted she was not surprised by the charges against Franke. While the details of the case were shocking, the fact that abuse allegations had surfaced was not unexpected, given her family history.
Franke, known for her YouTube channel “8 Passengers” featuring her family and parenting techniques, has been under scrutiny for some time. Concerned viewers and neighbors had raised red flags about the treatment of the Franke children, but the situation escalated recently when Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested on charges of child abuse.
Sally revealed that her own mother, a relative of Franke’s, had engaged in disturbingly similar behavior, including handcuffing her siblings and withholding food. These methods, she alleges, were not born out of financial hardship but were instead acts of cruelty. The police recordings, detailing the use of duct tape on Franke’s children, resonated deeply with Sally, who confirmed that her own siblings had endured similar treatment at the hands of their mother.
This pattern of abuse, Sally suggests, is deeply ingrained in their family. She believes it’s a multi-generational issue, passed down through generations. When asked about the source of this behavior, Sally painted a bleak picture, stating, “the whole tree from the bottom of the roots to the tips of the branches…the whole tree is blighted.”
Raised in a strict Mormon household, much like Franke, Sally believes religion was used to justify the abuse, a chilling reminder of the ways in which faith can be twisted. While the Mormon Church condemns harming children, the alleged abuse within these families continued unchecked.
Sally recounted experiencing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother. She described instances of being slapped so violently that her lip bled, often for seemingly insignificant reasons, like not immediately cleaning her room.
Though geographically separated from Franke for over a decade, Sally recalled feeling deeply disturbed after watching clips of “8 Passengers.” Franke’s mannerisms, she said, were eerily reminiscent of her own mother’s, triggering her PTSD and forcing her to stop watching.
The interview with Sally paints a heartbreaking picture of a family fractured by abuse. It raises questions about the systems that failed to protect these children and the cyclical nature of abuse that can persist through generations.
As the legal proceedings against Franke and Hildebrandt continue, the world waits to see if justice will be served for the children who have endured unimaginable hardship. Sally’s courageous decision to come forward sheds light on a dark corner of this case, highlighting the urgent need for awareness and intervention in cases of suspected child abuse.
