Police arrested and charged a 27-year-old father from Cottonwoods Heights, Utah, with second-degree felony child abuse for beating his 5-year-old daughter.
Cottonwood Heights police say Michael Hall was accused of beating his daughter after she gave her dinner to their pet dog. "While she was with her dad, he was feeding her dinner and apparently she didn't like it. She gave some food from the table to the dog," Sgt. Corbett Ford said.
"His way of correcting her behavior was with a belt and a hanger," Ford said. The mother of the girl noticed severe brusies on the girl after picking her up for a custodial visit.
The girl was taken to Primary Children's Hospital. Upon examination doctors informed police to investigate the matter. Investigators obtained medical records, interviewed the child and arrested Hall for felony child abuse on Wednesday.
Hall told the investigators, "I personally feel like it was too much," according to documents.
According to the investigators, not all physical discipline is illegal, but in this case it certainly was.
"This is a case that far overreaches the boundaries of discipline," Ford said. "When it gets to the point where you are leaving bruises and marks, that's abusive behavior."
Ford said parents who have questions about disciplining their children can receive help from Salt Lake County Youth Services and the Youth Receiving Center that gives free family-crisis counseling, referrals and short term placement for youth.
The case is being investigated by police and Utah Child & Family Services.
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