Whatever Happened To Audrey Kauffman From Sins Of The Amish?

In May of 2022, a shocking documentary series exposed the dark side of life in the Amish community. The Amish are typically portrayed in a cheery wholesome manner, but "Sins of the Amish" highlighted the rape and abuse suffered by many members of the community and the ways in which they are silenced. According to the show's sensational trailer, an astonishing one in six Amish women experience sexual abuse.

Audrey Kauffman's family was among those featured in a disturbing tale of child abuse. After divorcing her husband, Mike Kauffman, Audrey's daughters revealed to her that their father had been sexually abusing all three of them — including the youngest starting at just 5 years old (via the Daily Mail).

Initially, Audrey's stand against her ex-husband's abuse created problems for her rather than for him. Unfortunately, Amish communities are often self-policing, which can potentially give predators of all kinds of leeway to commit horrific acts (via ABC News). When Audrey went to report her ex's crimes, she was tormented rather than supported by other members of the church (via Lancaster Online).

Getting Mike convicted was not easy. As another Amish abuse survivor from the show, states "Amish communities view going to the police as a greater sin than the rape itself" (via the Daily Mail). Nonetheless, Mike Kauffman was eventually found guilty and sentenced for crimes of sexual abuse in November 2021, according to the Washington Examiner.

While Kauffman was punished for his crimes, he was also able to make a no-contest plea deal, saddling him with a five to 10-year sentence, and 10 years probation (via Lancaster Online). The short length of the sentence led the judge to comment "I'm conflicted because five years (in prison) is not enough for you" (via Patriot-News).

While in a sense justice has been served, the mental and emotional toll of years of abuse cannot be wiped away in an instant. In a statement released by the family, one of the Kauffman children remarked that "I have very many nightmares. I cry all the time," while another stated that "I have no dreams anymore ... The only thing I work for is sanity and peace."

The Kauffman family has since settled back into normal life to some extent and Audrey Kauffman has continued her work as a massage therapist. However, her struggle with the Amish community has reportedly continued to negatively impact her life. A campaign on GiveSendGo (an organization that allows generous donors to contribute to good causes) has been created to help raise money for Audrey, in order to help her get back on her feet and support her five children.

The campaign writer claims that Audrey has been struggling to support herself since losing the love of her Amish neighbors, some of whom have worked to drive away her clients. On top of this, she has been engaged in a legal battle with Mike Kauffman over child support. The campaign writer states that Audrey desperately needs money in order to retrain so that she can practice as a massage therapist outside of the Amish community and finally leave them behind for good.