TRIGGER WARNING: This article includes references to sexual abuse.Jana Duggar finally broke her silence about her brother Joseph’s arrest, and she didn’t hold back. She sounded heartbroken and shocked, but she made it clear she’s standing with the alleged victim.
After days of everyone wondering what the Duggars were thinking, Jana’s statement gives us a real look at how the family’s dealing with it, and she’s pretty firm that they had no clue before the news hit the public.
Jana Duggar speaks out on Joseph Duggar’s arrest
Jana posted on Instagram, saying, “We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the situation involving my brother, Joseph.” She said the whole thing blindsided her family: “had no prior knowledge before it became public.”
That line really stands out. She added, “Our hearts are with the child who has been harmed—this is a grievous and unacceptable wrong.” Jana, who just had her first baby with Stephen Wissmann last December, said they’re praying for both the victim and for justice.Per People, other Duggar siblings have spoken up, too. Jason Duggar and his wife Maddie, said they were angry and added that they “pray God’s righteous hand and the court system will serve justice in the situation as deserved.”
They called the victim brave, saying that they have “been brave enough to share what has happened,” and mentioned Joseph’s kids, who “must face the reality of losing a father that should have been a spiritual leader in their lives.
”Jinger Duggar and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, talked about it on their podcast, reflecting on the family’s history with legal troubles. Josh Duggar, their oldest brother, was convicted in 2021 for child sexual abuse material and accused of molesting five girls, including their sisters Jill and Jessa.
Jinger said, “You can’t be prepared for news like this, even though we’ve experienced something very similar before, with one of my other siblings, who made unthinkable choices, decisions that have affected all of us.
” Jinger said on ‘Jinger & Jeremy’, “And yet the pain and hurt that’s caused to us, but then to so many others, is just so hard. It’s hard to know what to do sometimes, moving forward. You just feel the weight of it.”
Who is Joseph Duggar?
Joseph Duggar is one of the Duggar kids who got famous from ‘19 Kids and Counting’ and ‘Counting On’. He’s married to Kendra, and they have four kids. He always kept a pretty low profile, but these legal issues have completely changed that image.As per the same report, Joseph, who’s 31, is accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl during a family trip to Panama City Beach, Florida, back in 2020. He was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior, including molestation of a victim under 12 and another count for conduct committed by someone over 18.He got arrested in Arkansas on March 18 and was extradited to Florida for his first court appearance on March 31. Two days before, he pleaded not guilty to all charges, waived arraignment, and asked for a jury trial. The judge set his bond at $600,000, and now he’s back in Arkansas. He can’t have unsupervised contact with any minors—including his own kids. His arraignment was supposed to happen in April, but his lawyer said it’s been pushed to May 18.Joseph and his wife, Kendra, are facing even more charges: four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment, all misdemeanors, according to Tontitown, Arkansas, police. Kendra was released on bail after a short court hearing, and her next date is April 29. An inside source informed the outlet that those Arkansas charges aren’t related to the Florida case.DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, assault, or abuse, please seek immediate help. Reach out to a mental health specialist, NGO, or trusted individual. Several helplines are available to offer assistance.
