Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

Go to Database Search Page

Go to  Database Index Page

Ralph Gausvik

 

Charge:

Child/Minor Sex Abuse (incl. molestation)

Sentence:

23 years and 4 months

Years Imprisoned:

5

Year Crime:

1994

Year Convicted:

1995

Year Cleared:

2000

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Washington

County or Region of Crime:

Chelan

City of Crime:

Wenatchee

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"One of the Wenatchee 43. Ralph Gausvik was the common law husband of Barbara Garaas. He was convicted after a trial of intrafamilial sex abuse. The case against him was so bizarre that his young son testified that his mother put her penis inside of him. Based on subsequently proven false allegations of abuse by the neighboring Everett girls, his children were seized by the Washington Department of Social Services and it was only after being in custody for a month that they began making fantastic allegations of sex abuse by their parents. Upon his release, Harold Everett said: He studies the flat roadway and slowly shakes his head. "What's wrong?" Van Siclen asks. "I'm just thinking about those still back there. Ralph (Gausvik), Alan Hughes, Abel Lopez, Manuel Hidalgo, the others. They're just as innocent as Idella and me. They were caught up in the same lies and tricks by Perez and CPS. What's going to happen to them?" he asks, almost pleading." (Seattle P-I, 9-28-98) On November 6, 1998, the Washington Court of Appeals set aside Gausvik’s conviction. The charges were dismissed and he was released in 2000. Gausvik settled his lawsuit against the City of Wenatchee for $100,000 in 2005."

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous child abuse accusations by the children involved under the influence of a Wenatchee detective.

Innocence Proved By:

Charges dismissed and released after the Washington Court of Appeals reversed his conviction.

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$100,000 (City of Wenatchee, 2005)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

39

Age When Released:

44

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

""The Wenatchee "Sex Rings": Part 2""

Information Location 1:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/wenatche2.htm

Information Source 2:

""Freedom for Wenatchee Couple: 'But everything else is gone," Andrew Schneider (staff), Seattle P-I, Sept. 28, 1998."

Information Location 2:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/archives/1998/9809280009.asp

Information Source 3:

"Gausvik v. Robert Perez, City of Wenatchee, et. al., No. 04-35130 (9th Cir., 12-13-2004)"

Information Location 3:

http://openjurist.org/392/f3d/1006/gausvik-v-perez

Information Source 4:

"Gausvik v. Robert Perez, City of Wenatchee, et. al., No. 04-35130 (9th Cir., 12-13-2004)"

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

"“Witch Hunt: a true story of social hysteria and abused justice,” Kathryn Lyon, Avon Books, NY, 1998"

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case:

Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

Hosted on forejustice.org and mirrored on justicedenied.org .