child abuse

Read the latest news and reports on child abuse cases and reports of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect on Newser.com

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Florida Family Faces Horrifying Child Abuse Allegations

Victims describe physical and sexual assault, being 'caged' at night

(Newser) - Four adults in Florida are facing charges of aggravated child abuse after authorities allege they mistreated nine children in their care—five biological and four adopted, ranging in age from 7 to 16. An investigation by the Department of Children and Families began after an adopted child reportedly brought a...

Their Son Was Hit by a Car. Now They're the Ones in Jail
Their Son Was Hit by a Car.
Now They're the Ones in Jail
in case you missed it
Jun 22, 2025 11:05 AM CDT

Their Son Was Hit by a Car. Now They're the Ones in Jail

Samuele Jenkins, Jessica Ivey face involuntary manslaughter charges in death of Legend, 7

(Newser) - A North Carolina boy died after being hit by an elderly driver last month, but it's his parents who are now behind bars. Authorities say the 7-year-old was hit by a Jeep Cherokee on May 27 in Gastonia, as he tried to cross the street with his 10-year-old brother,...

Father Found Not Guilty of Abusing Olympic Champ

Court says Ingebrigtsen allegations were not proven beyond reasonable doubt

(Newser) - Gjert Ingebrigsten has been found not guilty of abusing Norwegian Olympic track champion Jakob Ingrebrigtsten and two of his brothers. After a trial that gripped the country, a court found that given conflicting statements from parents and siblings, there wasn't enough evidence to prove allegations of threats and physical...

Teen Alleges She Was Held Captive in Home Since 2018

Brenda Spencer, 38, and Branndon Mosley, 41, were arrested on Sunday

(Newser) - A New Jersey couple is facing multiple charges after police say an 18-year-old escaped their Gloucester Township home and reported years of severe abuse. Authorities allege Brenda Spencer, 38, and Branndon Mosley, 41, pulled the girl—described by officials as Spencer's daughter and Mosley's stepdaughter—out of...

Couple Gets Maximum Sentences for Abusing Adopted Kids

'You brought these children to West Virginia, a place that I know as 'Almost Heaven,' and you put them in hell'

(Newser) - A West Virginia couple received the maximum sentences of decades in prison Wednesday for abusing their adopted children. The abuse of the five children included heavy labor, locking them in bedrooms, forcing some to sleep on concrete floors, and making them stand for hours with their hands on their heads,...

Cop Arrested After Girl Forced to Hold Sign in Freezing Temps

Police say cop, wife forced their daughter to hold sign as punishment

(Newser) - An Indiana police officer and his wife face charges of child abuse and neglect after, authorities say, their 6-year-old daughter was forced to stand outside in freezing temperatures holding a humiliating sign. Passers-by saw the girl standing outside a home in Logansport in 18-degree weather during the January incident, which...

Dad Sentenced After Girl Fatally Forced to Jump on Trampoline

Girl's mother was previously sentenced to life behind bars

(Newser) - The Texas man who forced his 8-year-old daughter to jump on a trampoline in 110-degree heat has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars, prosecutors announced. Daniel Schwarz, 48, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after the death of the girl, whom he and his wife had adopted, USA Today reports. The...

Children's Author, Husband Beat Kids With 'Whacker'

Florida's Jennifer Wolfthal, Joseph Wolfthal get prison time after guilty plea for child abuse, neglect

(Newser) - A Florida children's book author and her husband, a Lockheed Martin engineer, have pleaded guilty in a child abuse and neglect case involving their three adopted kids. USA Today reports that last week, 45-year-old Jennifer Wolfthal was sentenced to 12 years behind bars, while 43-year-old Joseph Wolfthal received a...

After Newborns Suffer Fractures, a Nurse Is Charged

Virginia's Erin Strotman charged with malicious wounding, felony child abuse against one infant

(Newser) - A former nurse at a Virginia hospital where at least seven newborns suffered mysterious injuries has been charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse. Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, 26, is charged in connection with a Nov. 10 incident involving one newborn. However, investigators are probing potential abuse against seven...

Paris Heads to Capitol Hill, Hints at Sticking Around

Hilton, who successfully lobbied for bill on youth residential treatment sites, suggests a run for office

(Newser) - We haven't seen much of Paris Hilton since she got married , became a mom , and dropped out of the Hollywood scene, but now she's making headlines again—this time on the other coast, on Capitol Hill. Last week, the Senate unanimously passed the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act...

Mom Hid Daughter in a Drawer for 3 Years

Judge hands down 7.5-year prison sentence, calling woman's actions 'wicked beyond belief'

(Newser) - A woman who kept her daughter in one of her divan bed's drawers for the first three years of her life is now to spend more than twice as long behind bars. The UK woman, who was not identified to protect her daughter's identity, admitted to four counts...

Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns, Citing His 'Shame'

Report determined Justin Welby likely knew of concerns around child abuser John Smyth

(Newser) - The archbishop of Canterbury, the topmost figure in the Church of England, has resigned under pressure following an independent report that found he failed to take action against a prolific child abuser. It's "unlikely" Justin Welby was unaware of the concerns around John Smyth, an attorney who sexually,...

'Why Are We Not Talking About Kenny?
'Why Are We Not
Talking About Kenny?'
longform
Nov 3, 2024 1:00 PM CST

'Why Are We Not Talking About Kenny?'

Los Angeles Times reports on boy's unsolved death, and the pending release of a child killer

(Newser) - The California parole board has approved the release of a woman in her 70s who has been in prison since 1995 for murdering her 8-year-old niece. As Madie Moore gets ready for freedom, others in her family—including her own daughter—remain opposed, reports the Los Angeles Times . The reason...

One Company Drives Risky World of Competitive Cheer

New York Times looks at how Jeff Webb's Varsity Spirit dominates the lucrative industry

(Newser) - Cheerleading may elicit images of pompoms and ponytails, but the athleticism required to pull off stunts performed in competition these days requires more than glittery pep. As it turns out, cheering has resulted in more catastrophic injuries than any sport played by female high school and college athletes combined, writes...

Cops: Mom Coached Daughter on Roblox on How to Kill Baby

2-month-old survived being dropped on floor by 10-year-old, but Tara Sykes has now been arrested

(Newser) - A Florida woman has been arrested after authorities say she urged her school-age daughter to kill an infant in the young girl's care, using the online video game platform Roblox to communicate her message. Per a statement from the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, investigators on Thursday received a...

Foster Dad Who Abused Turpin Children Is Sentenced

California's Marcelino Olguin gets 7 years; kids had previously endured years of torture from parents

(Newser) - A California man was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for abusing foster children he'd been assigned to care for in his home, including some who'd been previously tortured by their parents. Marcelino Olguin, 65, was handcuffed and led away by sheriff's deputies in a courtroom...

YouTube 'Madam' Mom Settles for $1.85M With 11 Kids

Tiffany Smith was accused of selling teen daughter Piper Rockelle's underwear, among other things

(Newser) - Eleven teenage content creators have settled a lawsuit with the mother of a YouTube star who they accused of abuse and exploitation. The January 2022 lawsuit from members of Piper Rockelle's "Piper Squad," who created content for Rockelle's popular YouTube channel between 2017 and 2020 without...

Principal Indicted After Mayor Charged With Abusing Daughter

Constance Days-Chapman informed parents, not authorities, about teen's claim: prosecutors

(Newser) - The daughter of Atlantic City's mayor allegedly told her principal that her parents were beating her months before their arrests . But Atlantic City High School Principal Constance Days-Chapman didn't report the alleged abuse and instead gave her friends, Mayor Marty Small and wife La'Quetta, a "heads...

Ina Garten Says She Grew Up 'Terrified' of Her Father

He 'would just have a rage, where he would drag me around the house by my hair'

(Newser) - Celebrity cook Ina Garten has opened up about abuse she suffered in childhood. In her memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens, which comes out on Oct. 1, the 76-year-old describes growing up in Connecticut with a controlling mother and a father who would scream and hit her and her...

Ex-NFLer Accused of Killing Girl, 5, Found With Bruises
Ex-NFL Player Sentenced
in Little Girl's Murder
UPDATED
Aug 14, 2024 1:30 AM CDT

Ex-NFL Player Sentenced in Little Girl's Murder

Former NFL player Cierre Wood cut a plea deal in death of his girlfriend's daughter

(Newser) - Former NFL player Cierre Wood was on Tuesday sentenced for the murder of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter. Wood made a plea deal known as an Alford plea, meaning he only admitted prosecutors had sufficient evidence to convict him on charges of second-degree murder and child abuse, neglect, or endangerment....

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