Disabled woman being “held hostage” by Jefferson County.»

Disability advocates are infuriated about a case involving a nonverbal woman with disabilities who they say is being held hostage by Jefferson County.

“It is truly outrageous,” said Julie Reiskin, director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition. “I call this torture.”

County officials have assumed temporary guardianship over 36-year-old Sharisa Kochmeister, a college graduate, and removed her from her home and her father — the only person in Colorado who helps her communicate.

They placed her in a nursing home and forbid her family, friends and even her doctor from visiting her, according to people close to the situation.

“What is she doing in a nursing home in Morrison away from her friends?” asked Marcia Tewell, executive director of the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council. “Her real community is nowhere near her and they are blocking access.”

The ordeal began in March when her father was accused of abuse when he was seen in a Denver hospital using his finger to clear his daughter’s throat after she had vomited. She kicked him. He pushed her and it was caught on video.

Denver police were alerted, and Jefferson County Human Services was summoned because the family lives in Lakewood.

Denver’s district attorney found there was not enough evidence to charge Sharisa’s father. But Jefferson County still took over guardianship, alleging it was a case of Munchausen by proxy syndrome — a form of abuse when a caregiver exaggerates or fakes illnesses or symptoms.

County officials refused to talk about this case, citing privacy and confidentiality laws.

Sharisa has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism and communicates by typing on a computer with one finger. She only types with certain people next to her — her father and her sister, who lives in New York.

She has a dual degree with honors from the University of Denver, became president of the Autism National Committee and joined the executive committee for the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council.

She has written articles and appeared on panels to discuss her disability and how she navigates the world.

She has been tested with a genius-level IQ , her father says. But in the nursing home, she has refused to communicate and staffers now say her IQ is 47 — mentally disabled.

“You take someone who is nonverbal, who is dependent on one person for communicating, and you remove that ... this makes me so mad,” said Reiskin. “This is part of not understanding a population. You put them in an institution against their will with a bunch of people who have dementia. This is torture.”

Reiskin said the county balked at paying for an expert in communicating with nonverbal people to visit to find out what was going on.

“I hope people become outraged by this,” Reiskin said.

Her father only recently got to visit his daughter, who finally felt comfortable enough to type again. County workers there witnessed the loving relationship and asked why she hadn’t been talking with them.

Sharisa said it was because she doesn’t like or trust them, Reiskin said. It is no wonder why. E-mail Jeremy Meyer at jpmeyer@denverpost.com. Follow him on Twitter: jpmeyerdpost