Rifqa Bary returned to Ohio today, three months after fleeing to Florida claiming that she feared for her life at the hands of her Muslim parents—an allegation that the Florida investigation determined was unsubstantiated. She will be staying in a foster home for the time being and the judge has restricted Bary’s internet and phone access, presumably to keep her away from Facebook, where she first met many of the individuals involved in this saga, and people like Lou Engle.
From the Associated Press:
Rifqa Bary returned to circumstances far different than those she left: Instead of her home in New Albany, one of central Ohio’s most well-off communities, she’ll be in a foster home under state custody.
Bary, 17, will also have her phone and Internet use supervised by the Franklin County Children Service Agency, under a judge’s order issued earlier Tuesday.
The children’s services agency had blamed Bary’s use of Facebook for her troubles, saying she went to Orlando, Fla., after talking to the Rev. Blake Lorenz, pastor of Global Revolution Church, in an online prayer group.
Bary disappeared July 19 and police used phone and computer records to track her to Lorenz.
“What we want to restrict is the other people, the other organizations, the other forces, that have interjected themselves into this case inappropriately, and has caused the additional problems that we’ve seen,” said Jim Zorn, a children’s services attorney, who had asked for tougher supervision that would have restricted Bary from using the Internet and her cell phone.
Bary’s father has denied the girl’s claims and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found no credible threats to the girl.
The girl’s parents supported the restrictions, saying through their attorney they were concerned about her interacting with adults over the Internet.
