Inset: Gwendolyn Rolle (St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Florida home where Gwendolyn Rolle allegedly abused five children, ages 4 to 9 (WPEC/YouTube).
A pastor from Florida is facing serious allegations of neglect after reportedly depriving her five foster children of basic necessities, while her biological daughter enjoyed privileges such as meals from KFC and Popeyes, according to police reports. The foster children were allegedly forced to bathe with a garden hose and use a bucket as a toilet, in stark contrast to the treatment of the pastor’s daughter who had regular bathroom access.
Gwendolyn Rolle, aged 59, has been charged with five counts of felony child neglect without causing great bodily harm in St. Lucie County. These charges emerged following an investigation by Fort Pierce police, sparked by an anonymous tip-off.
According to the arrest warrant, Rolle, who does not hold a license as a foster parent, is accused of providing preferential treatment to her biological daughter while neglecting the needs of the other children, who are siblings aged between 4 and 9.
The warrant details accusations that Rolle’s daughter was allowed to use a conventional bathroom and received meals from fast-food outlets, unlike the foster children. One of the children reportedly told authorities that they often went to bed hungry, as Rolle sometimes denied them dinner.
The document further alleges that the foster children were required to shower on the front patio, using a garden hose for bathing while one of them held up a sheet for privacy. The children would take turns holding the sheet and showering with the hose.
Rolle, who serves as a pastor at New Hope International Church in Fort Pierce, reportedly claimed she took in the children after their father left them, according to the police. The investigation into Rolle’s conduct commenced on June 2, following the anonymous complaint about the suspected child abuse.
“Since Gwendolyn is a pastor and held to a higher standard within the community, [the tipster] has always been afraid to speak out on anything,” the warrant says, noting how the tipster told police that Rolle “has foster kids in her custody and treats them very poorly.”
Rolle allegedly admitted to only having “one working restroom due to one being out of order for repairs,” but claimed she bathed the foster kids regularly. The children and school staff told investigators that the children were regularly “bullied at school due to them smelling bad because they are not allowed to shower and do not have clean clothes to wear,” according to the arrest warrant.
One of the children told police “when she goes to school, she is sometimes given perfume or a spray to mask the odor from not showering so other kids would not bully her,” the warrant says. “Gwendolyn keeps her bedroom door, the only access to the working bathroom, locked even when she is home. [The child] said that they must get Gwendolyn’s permission to use that bathroom and that Gwendolyn primarily only unlocks it for [her biological daughter] to use the bathroom.”
The children accused Rolle of physical abuse, as well, including slaps to the face and other physical strikes. She also allegedly called them “b—ards” and when she did choose to feed them, it was either leftovers from food they were provided at school or “ramen noodle packets,” per the arrest warrant.
An anonymous person in the community told police she would let the children come over and stay at her home. “Her living room smelled horrible after the children slept there, due to the odor emanating from their bodies,” the warrant says. “She said that she has tried giving the children food, clothes, and toys, but that Gwendolyn always confiscates the items and either throws them away or gives them to [her biological daughter].”
Rolle has since bonded out from jail after her arrest. She has been assigned a public defender.
