If 2026 so far has proven anything, it’s that evil walks among us. With horrifying Epstein files details leaking, our neighbors being terrorized by ICE, and a turbulent economy making everything feel more unsteady, it feels like currently, the world is at its most heinous. To call it overwhelming is an understatement; it’s been a crushing weight at times. But the truth is, levels of this kind of “evil” have been in place for thousands of years. I don’t find it comforting that it persists, but I do find it comforting that so many have continued to survive and even thrive through it.
But sometimes, you hear a story of such massive and horrendous strife that although you’re revolted, it also provides a sense of awe. After all, if someone can survive those truly disgusting afflictions, we can surely rise above whatever it is we are facing. That’s certainly how I feel about the story of Genie Wiley, a 13-year-old girl said to be the victim of the most egregious child abuse case recorded in the United States.
In 1958, Genie was born to Clark Wiley, a cruel, deranged man who reportedly never wanted children. He married his wife Irene, who was 20 years his junior, and the two had four children. Their first died after being left in an unheated garage, and the second died during birthing complications, according to The Express. The third, a boy named John, “survived” but led a life of horrific abuse. And the fourth was Genie, who was so hated by her father he forced her to stay in a room alone, chained to a makeshift toilet and sleeping in a crib.
He treated her worse than a dog, barking and growling at her every time she made a sound. As a result, she was largely nonverbal save for a few words like “mother” and “go.” She defecated and urinated when scared, was emaciated, and “hopped like a rabbit,” the outlet reported.
The Guardian shared that the family’s horrific secret was unearthed when the mother, Irene, who was nearly blind because of cataracts, wandered into the wrong social security office and social workers observed all of these traits. They were finally able to remove the girl from their care, and eventually Clark Wiley was charged with child abuse. The coward shot himself before he could be convicted of anything, leaving behind a note reading, “The world will never understand.”
Sadly, the story doesn’t get much happier from there. Genie’s rehabilitation was harrowing on the authors who documented her life, the therapists who worked with her, and the doctors who spent hours rehabilitating her, The Guardian noted. At first, progress was promising. Genie was not able to fully speak but sketched pictures well enough to communicate her feelings. She learned to play, chew her food, fully dress herself, and enjoyed music while performing well on intelligence tests.
“Language and thought are distinct from each other. For many of us, our thoughts are verbally encoded. For Genie, her thoughts were virtually never verbally encoded, but there are many ways to think,” Susan Curtiss, one of the few surviving members of the research team, told The Guardian. “She was smart. She could hold a set of pictures so they told a story. She could create all sorts of complex structures from sticks. She had other signs of intelligence. The lights were on.”
But sadly, progress came to a halt when research funding dried up and the young girl was caught between two research teams who disagreed on how to proceed. She became a ward of the state, and many of the professionals who genuinely loved her were not allowed to be in contact with her. In fact, it’s very hard to determine if Genie, which is not her real name, is still alive, as she has been secretly passed from institution to institution her whole life.
The immense suffering, the sad outcome … all of it is so heavy. Despite that, I have to believe if a little girl could survive the weight of all that crushing depravity, we are capable of rising above anything.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is [available 24/7](https://childhelphotline.org/).
