399. Caribe Vista, Haiti

Caribe Vista also marketed as Caribe Vista Youth Safari was located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

In 1974 the authorities in Haiti closed them down forcing them to relocate to the Dominican Republic. What wasn’t known by the authorities at that time because they closed the boarding school down due to non-existing licenses to operate it was that the founder Rev. Gordon C. Blossom was involved with acts of pedophilia.

After they reopened in the Dominican Republic the boarding school was renamed Escuela Caribe.

In 2009 they lost their license in their home state Indiana. Today another organization continues to run Escuela Caribe under another name.

It could not have been fun to be there as a teenager.

Sources:

• To Hell and Back: A NUVO Series (NUVO)
• Film exposes mysterious U.S. school in Central Mountains (Dominican Today)
• NEW HORIZONS YOUTH MINISTRIES EXPELLED FROM HAITI IN 1974 (Deirdre Sugiuchi)
• Facebook group for survivors

398. Bergens Guttehjem

Bergens Guttehjem which losely can be translated as a home for orphaned boys closed in 1973 after having existed close to 95 years.

Investigation into the past conducted in 2006 showed use of corporal punishment and at least 3 deaths.

It could not have been fun to be there as a child.

Sources:

• Tyranniet (Samfunnsmagasinet – link in Norwegian language)
• Beryktet ”barnehjem” drev helt ulovlig (Samfunnsmagasinet – link in Norwegian language)

397. Waimokoia School

The Waimokoia School in New Zealand was founded in 1981 and closed in 2010.

An investigation into sexual assault resulted in closure of the facility. An employee was later sentenced to prison. Later the property was sold

It doesn’t sound like a fun place to be as a teenager.

Sources:

• Waimokoia’s abuse (Sunday Star Times)
• Airport security manager guilty of child sex abuse (Stuff)
• Site of former Auckland school of horrors sold for $12 million to iwi group (Stuff)
• Residential school for troubled kids to close (Otago Daily Times)

396. Te Rakau Hua O Te Wao Tapu Trust

Te Rakau Hua O Te Wao Tapu Trust is a Maori Community Theatre and Theatre in Education company. It is located in Aotearoa (New Zealand)

The teenagers aged between 12 and 16 present various performances using voluteers and troubled youth as staff and partipants.

In June 2011 there was allogations of the use of violence against some of the youth referred to the program. As result the local department of social services (CYF) removed some of the youth they had referred to the program.

It doesn’t sound like a fun place to be as a teenager.

Source:

• This wrist hold from New Zealand seems familia

395. King’s College, New Zealand

King’s College was founded in 1896 but lately it has mostly been in the newspapers because students died at the boarding school and other articles show that the behavior of some students against other leaves it hard to claim that it can be fun to be there as a teenager.

The use of private investigators didn’t improve anything for the students. It just meant less fun.

Sources:

• King’s College reels after third death (The New Zealand Herald)
• King’s College students struggling with another death (3 News)
• King’s College–My Rant for the Morning. Prep School for the Rich and Famous? (Diversity Limited)
• King’s College suspends students in drug sting (Investigate Magazine)

394. Campbell Park

Campbell Park was located in New Zealand. It was modelled after the CEDU programs in the United States.

However stricter oversight in New Zealand meant that it never became a good business. Only a year later the school closed. The area was sold as private property.

It didn’t matter much as it based on the testimonies from the students in the United States wasn’t a fun place to stay as a teenager.

Sources:

• New Zealand offspring closed (Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora)
• campbell park (Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora)

393. BDF Boot camp, Belize

The BDF Boot camp located at Camp Belizario in Cayo became center of the news in the country when disgrunted families stepped forward.

It doesn’t seem like a fun place to be as a teenager.

Sources:

• What’s Going Right At BDF Youth Reform Camp (7 News Belize)
• Teen Alleges Abuse At Police/BDF Camp (7 News Belize)
• B.D.F. sets record straight about brawl with at risk youths at Camp Belizario (Channel 5 Belize)

392. Team Achievers Discipline Academy

The Team Achievers Discipline Academy located in Montgomery, Alabama became noticed in the news when the founder and leader of the camp was arrested for sexual abuse charges. It seemed he used the camp as cover for his hidden agenda which was to come in touch with kids.

It didn’t sound like a fun place to be as a teenager.

Sources:

• Founder of Montgomery boot camp faces more sexual abuse charges(WSFA 12 News)
• Nonprofit leader held on sex abuse charges (Montgomery Advertiser)
• Glenn Veasy Founded A Boot Camp For At Risk Youth, Then Sexually Abused Them (The Dreaming Demon)

391. Great Family group home

The police raided the Great Family group home in Zamora, Mexico and liberted more than 400 persons. Tons of allegations were brought against the group of people running the facility. It seemed that they ran a kind of kidnapping service where families had to pay to get their children back. Several of the children were abused according to newpaper articles.

It could not have been a fun place to be as a teenager.

Sources:

• Mexico: Sex abuse at group home house of horror (The Daily Mail)
• Controversy surrounds rescue of children from Mexico shelter (Los Angeles Times)

390. Heart of Worship Community Church group home

A group home belonging the Heart of Worship Community Church in Corona, California became the center of an investigation into child abuse. Several members of the church including the Pastor named Lonny Lee Remmers was involved in the abuse which ended several of them in prison. A police officer who also was a church member didn’t report the child abuse and was fired from the police force after serving 24 years.

It didn’t sound like a nice place to be as a teenager.

Sources:

• Lonnie Remmers, Nicholas Craig and Darryl Jeter tortured 13 year old boy (The blog the Monsters among us)
• Corona, CA: Pastor, 2 men jailed in kidnapping, abuse case (My City Corona)