Dad buried 6-year-old girl in hole as punishment, Pennsylvania cops say. ‘Barbaric’
.jpg "The man was arrested and faces several felony and misdemeanor charges.")
A 6-year-old girl was beaten, choked and partially buried by her father as various forms of abuse and punishment, authorities in Pennsylvania said. She is now in “a safe place,” and the man was arrested and charged.
Pennsylvania State Police became aware of the alleged abuse on Oct. 19 from Greene County Children and Youth Services, according to a news release. The Waynesburg child had reported she was assaulted around the month of September.
She said her dad would beat her with his hands, a belt and a metal rod that was implanted into his arm during a prior surgery, police said. She also said he once “choked her to the point of unconsciousness and hit her head off of the floor and walls of the residence.”
When the man thought she was lying, the girl said he would partially bury her in a hole in the yard “until she told the truth,” according to the release. She said she’d smell like sewage after the punishment was over.
Pennsylvania State Police notified Greene County District Attorney David Russo of the investigation on Oct. 20.
He said the father’s treatment of this young child was one of the worst cases of child abuse he’s ever seen, according to KDKA.
McClatchy News is not naming the man to protect the identity of his daughter, who had “severe bruising” over her body.
The felony charges against the father include aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of a child, false imprisonment of a minor and unlawful restraint of a minor. He also faces a few misdemeanor charges.
“The allegations against the Defendant are barbaric and horrific and the 1st degree felony charges are appropriate,” Russo said in a statement to McClatchy News. “I will do everything in my power to protect the children of our community. No child deserves to be treated this way and my office will concentrate our efforts in bring justice for this child.”
The 6-year-old girl has a sibling who was also removed from the home, according to WTAE.
An investigation is ongoing.
Waynesburg is about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh.
This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Dad buried 6-year-old girl in hole as punishment, Pennsylvania cops say. ‘Barbaric’."