A police officer has been charged with child neglect after sending his six-year-old daughter out in the cold with a sign that degraded her behaviour.
Cody Scott and his wife Kylie Scott, both of Indiana, were arrested after members of the public reported seeing the young girl standing in 18-degree weather on January 19.
According to court documents, Mr Scott sent the youngster outside with a sign reading “I want to stab and kill my brother.” I even take an antipsychotic. If you must show pity, do so for the victims.
It is believed that the child was punished because she had been acting out at church and Sunday school due to a problem with lip gloss. Mrs Scott told cops that she told her daughter it was okay to wear it, but the child forgot and began misbehaving.
Both parents have been charged with two counts of felony child neglect following an investigation by authorities. Additional documents detailed how Indiana State Police arrived at the scene earlier this year, alongside Mr Scott, a Logansport Police Department officer, and his supervisor.
At the time, the police officer confirmed that he made his daughter stand outside in the cold for 30 minutes at a time, with 10-minute breaks to warm up. On the day in question, the air temperature was reported to be 18 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of 17 mph.
A heavily redacted affidavit submitted to the court revealed that Mr Scott and his partner had made their daughter carry signs before.
On another occasion, the child was forced to carry a sign that read, “I pee on everything and cover it up like a cat.” While another, whom she was forced to walk around Walmart with, stated, “I lie to hurt people.”
On January 19, while the child was standing in the cold, Mr Scott was confronted about the way he treated his daughter. When asked why he was beating her physically, he stated that he had not found any other effective punishment for her.
“She has threatened to kill my family, to embarrass us, to urinate on herself, and to destroy everything in the house. I have a DCS caseworker involved, and she has been in therapy for three years. She also participates in the school’s wraparound program. She goes in every 30 minutes to warm up, gets all bundled up, and then comes back out.”
Mr Scott also spoke with the woman who called 911, explaining how she had been taken to the hospital twice but was kicked out due to her behavior, according to Law&Crime reports. He admitted: “I threatened not to pick her up. They said they would report me to DCS for abandonment.
The court document detailed a history of behavioural issues reported by the parents about their daughter, including claims she would “act out” or engage in “attention-seeking behavior.” Both stated that other forms of punishment they had tried were ineffective, and their daughter had threatened to harm her younger brother.
The Indiana State Police investigator who wrote the affidavit stated that the Scotts’ punishment was “disproportionate to the offense and unnecessarily degrading.”
Mr Scott was placed on administrative leave from the force immediately after the incident. Logansport Police Chief Travis Yike revealed Mr Scott’s unpaid leave during a Board of Public Works and Safety meeting earlier this week.
According to court records, Cody Scott and Kylie Scott were booked into the Cass County Jail after turning themselves in and being released on bond. On March 13, they both appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them. Mrs. Scott’s next court appearance is on May 22. Mr. Scott is scheduled to appear on May 8.
