Some clarifications:
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/0...-with-child-abuse.html?storylink=omni_popular
"The girl told authorities that Marquis had physically and emotionally abused her for years, Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said.
She said Marquis beat her with a belt if she committed minor offenses."
and
"
During Christmas break, Zahnd said, Marquis forced the girl to stand in the corner of her bedroom from the time she finished breakfast in the morning until she went bed 10 to 12 hours later.
This punishment continued over 12 days, court documents said, and she was allowed to leave the corner only to use the restroom, eat or do chores." [ETA: Our Christmas break was 16 days.]
and
"Authorities also said he exposed the teen to *advertiser censored*." [ETA: This could be just having the *advertiser censored* on the computer while she was present as in the NY Corrections Officer arrest last week--his computer was open to child *advertiser censored* in the kitchen while the kids ate breakfast!!]
IMO, there's a lot missing in these reports, as Chicana has noted. Is using a belt as punishment in this state illegal? It's surely not in lots of states. Leaving marks on a child is, though. kbl, where did you see "beat her bottom black and blue"?
We've seen several murders and serious injuries to teens lately connected to beating "a la Michael Pearl". Remember Lydia Schatz, Jeanette Maples, and the Bass teen in Phoenix. All were isolated and beaten. Several have mentioned "chores" and a couple have involved loving a dog. Religion has played a factor in several. There's a common theme here, IMO.
I keep checking back to see if the dog has been found. I'm actually pretty surprised that it hasn't been. Most animal lovers would be whisking that dog back to that girl in a heartbeat...especially knowing that the dog would be protected in foster care with the child.
FWIW, just as Women's Shelters are now accepting more and more pets or making safe arrangements for boarding, foster care homes are being asked to consider accepting pets. We accepted a dog when our foster daughter came to us. She would have been devastated to leave him behind. It does help with healing. We took a goldfish once, also, when a child came to us for adoption.
I have a feeling that the arrest was more related to cruelty due to the extended standing and emotional abuse (against the law in many states but not all). I have a feeling that the child *advertiser censored* arrest was almost a "tack-on". It doesn't sound like this girl is depicted in the *advertiser censored* or was shown it on a steady basis. I think they were looking for any and all reasons to hook this guy up while they investigated. JMO