The Case from Hell: Part 7

On July 23, after nearly four years of legal wrangling, the family of Drs. Lisette and Andres Nogues was finally reunited. In September 1989 state child-protection workers had removed the seven minor Nogues children from their Kendall home after Aimee, who was fifteen years old at the time, accused them of abuse. The girl later admitted she had lied about the accusations, the same conclusion reached by Metro-Dade police after a seven-month investigation. But case workers continued to believe Aimee's original allegations and persistently opposed any contact between the Nogueses and their minor children. This past June, after presiding over a six-week evidentiary hearing, Juvenile Court Judge Ralph Person ordered that the children be reunited with their parents. A criminal investigation of social workers and Guardians Ad Litem assigned to the case is ongoing. After an initial period of adjustment, the four youngest children, who had not seen their parents since November 1989, are ecstatic to be home. They have enrolled in a private school. Their parents, who again have a house full of kids, are hoping to renew their careers as doctors.