Tense listening to between 2 Virginia Seashore Catholic college households ends with some costs dismissed, others upheld
VIRGINIA BEACH — A contentious courtroom listening to between two Virginia Seashore Catholic college households whose relationship fell aside over baby intercourse abuse allegations ended Monday with some misdemeanor costs filed in opposition to one household being dismissed and others upheld.
Monday’s listening to in Virginia Seashore Normal District Courtroom was held after Marin Jakawich filed criminal complaints in opposition to former associates Tim and Meredith Hatchell. The 2 households met a number of years in the past via their kids, all of whom attended St. John the Apostle Catholic Faculty in Virginia Seashore.
Even the character of the 2 households’ relationship was at odds on Monday. Whereas the Hatchells advised Decide Sandra Menago they’d been so shut that they’d routinely seen one another 4 to 5 days per week over the previous 4 years, and offered photographs of them on a number of holidays collectively, Jakawich referred to the Hatchells as “acquaintances.”
Each side, nevertheless, agreed that any bond they’d had got here to an abrupt halt in early Could. That’s when the Hatchells’ daughter advised them she’d been molested by Jakawich’s husband, Vincent, a number of years earlier than. The Hatchells instantly contacted police, and in addition reached out to Marin Jakawich.
Lower than 24 hours later, Vincent Jakawich, a Navy pilot, was discovered useless in his automotive in Currituck County, North Carolina. Vincent Jakawich’s loss of life was decided to be a suicide, in line with a division spokesman.
The following morning, Meredith Hatchell stood exterior St. John’s college and handed out flyers to oldsters as they dropped their youngsters off. The flyer claimed that Vincent Jakawich was a “pedophile” who’d molested “not less than” two feminine college students, and urged dad and mom with daughters who’d frolicked on the Jakawich dwelling to query them.
The flyer additionally supplied a hyperlink to a earlier courtroom case involving Vincent Jakawich through which he’d been charged in 2021 with felony aggravated sexual battery of a kid lower than 13, however later took a plea deal to a lesser cost of misdemeanor assault and battery.
An identical doc was supplied to the Jakawichs’ neighbors, and several other days later the Hatchells gave interviews to 2 native tv stations in regards to the allegations, in addition to their frustrations with college officers for not doing extra to guard college students.
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Marin Jakawich filed her felony grievance in opposition to the Hatchells hours after the flyers have been dispersed. She additionally alleged that Meredith Hatchell had trespassed at her home and develop into disruptive. She later accused the couple of violating provisions of a protecting order she’d obtained by posting on social media about her household and the allegations.
Consequently, Meredith Hatchell was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, and each Meredith and Tim Hatchell have been charged with harassment by pc and violating a protecting order.
“Each of them put my daughters and myself at risk,” Jakawich advised the choose Monday as she grew emotional. “I needed to go away my dwelling. Now we have been residing out of suitcases.”
Folks she’d by no means met earlier than posted vile issues on social media, she mentioned, together with one who urged that she and her daughters ought to “be a part of” her husband in loss of life.
“My daughters and I would like peace. That’s all we’ve ever wished,” she mentioned. “My daughters and I had nothing to do with this. This needed to do with my husband.”
The Hatchells testified they put the flyers collectively to alert different households about what had occurred, and to assist any that may have been impacted. Meredith Hatchell mentioned she didn’t know in regards to the prior allegations involving Vincent Jakawich till after her daughter got here ahead.
“As a result of I did consider there is perhaps different victims, I wished to boost consciousness,” she mentioned. “There have been different (alleged) victims which have come ahead since then.”
Marin Jakawich advised the choose the allegations in opposition to her husband within the first case have been decided to be unfounded by Little one Protecting Providers. He additionally handed a polygraph take a look at and was cleared by the Navy, she mentioned.
Tim Hatchell testified that he and his spouse started sending their daughter to a therapist a few years in the past as a result of she was complaining of migraines and lacking lots of college. She first advised her therapist in regards to the allegations on Could 8, then knowledgeable her dad and mom later that very same day, including that she hadn’t come ahead earlier than as a result of she was afraid nobody would consider her, he mentioned.
Tim Hatchell advised Marin Jakawich he and his spouse have been indignant together with her for not letting them know in regards to the prior case, and placing their daughter and others in danger. Marin Jakawich mentioned, nevertheless, that she had “no obligation” to inform them, and had adopted all courtroom orders positioned on her husband, together with not being allowed to be round kids beneath 18 who weren’t associated to them whereas his prior case was pending.
On Monday, Menago dismissed the trespassing and disorderly conduct counts in opposition to Meredith Hatchell, saying she didn’t consider the proof met the necessities of the legislation. However she did discover her responsible of the pc cost.
Menago discovered Tim Hatchell responsible of the pc cost and violating the protecting order. As a result of neither has a felony report, the choose agreed to protection legal professional James Broccoletti’s request to carry the convictions beneath advisement till Dec. 30. If no different violations are recorded throughout that point, the convictions can be dismissed, she mentioned.
Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
