Burlington couple charged for allegedly abusing 17-year-old girl

BURLINGTON (WITI) -- A Burlington man and woman have been charged in connection with the physical abuse of a 17-year-old girl.

The 52-year-old woman and 51-year-old man each face one count of physical abuse of a child -- intentionally causing bodily harm for their role in the alleged abuse of a 17-year-old child.

A criminal complaint in the case says officers were dispatched to a home on Bohner Drive in the Town of Burlington on Thursday, January 23rd for a child abuse complaint.

The complaint was made by a friend of the victim -- who told officials she had received messages from the victim in this case, saying she "was being beaten by her parents and was afraid to call the police." This, according to the criminal complaint in the case.

Officers performed a welfare check, and the victim was interviewed. That victim told officers she and her father had had a disagreement that night over a gym class at school, and that she, her father and her step-mother were yelling back and forth at one another, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint says the victim told officers at some point, her father came into her room, grabbed her dog and pushed the chair she was sitting in backwards to the ground, so that she hit her head on the floor.

The complaint says the victim told officers her father was then on top of her, holding her down by her neck, calling her a "little (expletive)" and holding her to the ground by her neck.

The victim reportedly told officers she told her father to get off of her, and threatened to call police, but said her father would not move, according to the complaint.

Eventually, the victim says her father got up and went into another room, according to the complaint.

That's when the complaint says the victim told officials her stepmother got involved. The victim says the woman grabbed her by the hair and pulled it hard, causing her pain. The victim says her neck was scratched, and she was thrown to the floor, according to the complaint.

The victim says her stepmother's hand then came across her mouth, scratching her with her ring, and says she had to bite the woman's hand to get her to let go -- according to the complaint.

The complaint says the woman grabbed the victim's hood, nearly ripping it off. Officers located the hood of the sweatshirt in the room where the altercation allegedly occurred.

The complaint says the victim told officers her step-mother tried coming at her again -- but says her father pulled the woman off -- and that's when she went into another room and texted her friend.

Officers observed abrasions on the victim's neck, a scratch across her right cheek to her nose, a cut along the right corner of her mouth, a small scratch on the back of her neck, and a small scratch behind her right ear. There were also red marks and discoloration on the back right side of her neck, as well as behind her right ear. Officers say these were already turning into bruises. This, according to the criminal complaint.

The victim is now staying with her grandmother.