European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes saturday november 9,1991 Stepmother on trial for fatal abuse of child i. A a i re a Quot the children did no to accept their new Mother an it by de Reavis past life and two marriages. In a Meek voice the for the Hudren p was by de Reavis 1 staff writer Mainz Germany a the trial of a . Soldiers a wife charged with unpremeditated murder in the death of her 8-year-old stepdaughter last year opened thursday in Mainz and continued on Friday morning. The state court of Rheinland Pfalz alleges that Christine Valdez a German citizen together with her american husband physically abused Michele Valdez ultimately causing her death. The girl died March 28, 1990, of a rare form of pneumonia induced through abuse related injuries. The husband staff sgt. Ricardo Valdez who was assigned to he co 4th Armor in Mainz was Given a life sentence after being convicted last year in a military court martial of the unpremeditated murder and maiming of his daughter. At the time of Michele a death the Valdez family lived in apartment a3, building 5866 of the Airfield housing area in Mainz Fin then. The parents now divorced were married in 1988. Court documents allege that the victim Michele could not accept her Stepmother As a Parent which the child demonstrated by bed wetting vomiting and defecating in her clothing. To punish her prosecutors allege both parents escalated punishment of the child by confining her to the apartment and making her sleep on the bathroom floor. They forced her to stand in a Corner of the bathroom during the Day and to take her meals in the bathroom. The family a three other children were encouraged to participate in the abuse. On thursday the court probed Christine Valdez a past life and two marriages. In a Meek voice the former pharmaceutical Plant worker told the court that she met her second husband Ricardo Valdez at fort Benning ga., in the mid-1980s, while her first husband also a . Soldier was stationed in Korea. She and her two preteen daughters Charlene and Senetra later followed Ricardo Valdez to Berlin and moved in with Valdez and his two daughter a Michele and Nelleke a by a previous marriage. She told the court that Ricardo Valdez believed in physical punishment for children when they misbehaved and that she often had to intervene. A i done to believe in beating children. I was never beaten and it was against my beliefs. But he told me his father beat him with a rubber Hose when he was a child and it had made a Man out of him a Christine Valdez said. The woman alleged that Ricardo Valdez beat the children with his hands or the leather Belt from his uniform. She also admitted that she knew that authorities in Georgia had temporarily taken away her sex husbands children in 1984 for alleged child abuse. Asked whether she had any doubts about marrying a suspected child abuser Valdez said yes but dispelled them. The court wanted to know if Valdez Ever thought of seeking professional help for her husband and for the family. Quot i never thought of going to the authorities for help because i did no to want to ruin his military career and i did no to want the neighbors to know that i was married to a Man who abused Nis children a she said. Valdez said the problems with the children and especially with Michele began when they moved to Mainz Fin then. Quot the children did no to accept their new Mother and father a Christine Valdez said. A Michele was particularly difficult. She would drop her plate from the dining table and cause a mess on the floor. A my husband insisted on strict discipline at the table and no one was allowed to leave it without permission. He banished Michele to the Kitchen at meal times a she said. Air Force pathologist or. Maj Abubakr Marzouk now stationed in san Antonio Texas told the court thursday that he examined Michele a body when she was first brought into Wiesbaden Hospital. Marzouk determined Michele had been dead eight to 12 hours before she was brought there. A i was told id be examining an 8-year-old. When i first saw Michele i thought i was in the wrong place she had the body of a 4-year-old,�?� Marouk said. A she was also an abused child. She had bruises on several parts of her  Marzouk attributed Michele a retarded growth to undernourishment. He said Michele a last medical checkup was in 1984. Her growth then the doctor said was above average for her age. When she died Marzouk stressed she was far below Normal. On Friday the court wanted to know if Marzouk could determine at what Date Michele a undernourishment and retarded growth began. Marzouk said that h6 could not calculate that time period with any kind of scientific certainty. The trial is scheduled to continue in the state court in Mainz on nov. 15 and 21. The three surviving children Are scheduled to appear in court on nov. 15, but Valdez currently serving a life sentence at fort Leavenworth kan., has chosen not to testify. Rhein main s Transfer Likely to occur in 92 by Gary Pomeroy staff writer Rhein main a Germany a the Transfer of Rhein main a Back to the control of the . Air forces in Europe will More than Likely occur during 1992, the commander of 21st air Force said Friday. But the Date for turning Over the 435th tac Airlift Wing and its c-130s Hercules aircraft is a truly unknown Quot said it. Gen. Vernon j. Kondra during a visit to Rhein main a. A the deciding Factor on. The Date will be dictated by several factors including a a a what a Good for the Mission a and a what a Good for the people a a Kondra said the 21st air Force headquartered at Mcguire fab n.j., controls military Airlift come operations eastward from the Mississippi River to the Eastern Borders of Iran the arabian Peninsula and Africa. It also oversees Airlift operations in the Caribbean and South America. Kondra said the move will be largely  although the wings operational assets will be transferred a men route support such As the air passenger terminal will be maintained by military Airlift come. The military Airlift come will maintain control of All worldwide movement of troops and equipment through the newly created air mobility come which May be operational in Early 1992. A the theater commander should not be burdened with making that in route support go because he has his own things he has needs to be concerned with a Kondra said. Kondra does not expect the move to draw attention from the managers of Frankfurt International Airport and from German citizens who from Lime to time have discussed proposals aimed at reducing the american Reliance on the facility located just South of Frankfurt. A i done to necessarily agree. That the germans really want this air Patch badly a Kondra said. A i think that the germans want to expand some of their operations but i have never heard anybody say that the flu Hafen Airport wants to take Rhein main air  Kondra pointed out that Rhein main was under Safe control before it was transferred to Mac in 1975. The base was transferred because at the time All tactical Airlift and strategic Airlift assets in the air Force were transferred to Mac. A the times. Were certainly different a Kondra said. A the Force Structure that was in 1975 was certainly different from the Force Structure in 1991.�?� current air Force leadership philosophy is that a those who command will own the assets at their disposal Kondra said. A and now is the time to do  runners paradises amps Jim do Rte in fall foliage provides the perfect backdrop for spec. Rushel Lamar left of the 165th my co. And spec. Alan Cohen of the 66th my co., who Lead a pack of runners taking part in the 50th anniversary military police Fin run. The event was held Friday at Mannheim s Sullivan Barracks. More than 400 maps from Usa eur  court hands 23-year sentence to army private by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau Athens Greece a an army private who attacked four women including a 75-Ycar-old greek whom he stabbed 18 times was convicted of attempted murder and other charges monday in a greek court and sentenced to More than 23 years in prison. Pvt. James w. Ruth assigned to the 558th arty group was also fined 40,000 drachma about $213, after being convicted of two counts of attempted murder. Charges against Ruth included attempted robbery two counts each of possessing an illegal weapon Ille Gally using the weapon and indecent touching said staff sgt. Rickey Harrell of As Iraklion Public affairs office Friday. Ruth committed the crimes in Gly Fada a suburb of Athens Over four months in 1990, said Harrell whose information was based on reports from members of Irak Lions Legal office who attended the trial As observers. He began his series of attacks feb. 1 when he stabbed a 48-year-old iranian woman 32 times. On March 31, Ruth stabbed the 75-year-old 18 times. He also indecently touched a greek woman on May 22 and tried to attack a filipino woman on May 27, Harrell said. During the last attack witnesses intervened and help Ruth for greek police. Ruth pleaded not guilty claiming that he did not re member the incidents Harrell said. Ruth was sentenced to More than 40 years in prison by greek Law forbids anyone from receiving More than 2�?~. Years for attempted crimes Harrell said. Ruth was in . Custody at the military confinement facility in Mannheim Germany while awaiting his trial he was transferred to a greek prison outside Athen after the trial