YOUR COMMENTS

I dont think punching a child is right under any cicumstances. Its not ok for anyone to do to anyone else. Throw the book at her.
- vicky, nashua

This Was my friend.. She didnt deserve this at all. Please if you see any signs of abuse please report it. Abuse is horrible i was abused when i was younger and nobody deserves it.
- Sammy, Manchester

For those of you "anti-spankers" - I never got a spanking I didn't deserve. Nothing made you realize the consequence of your actions quicker than a couple swats on the butt. For some kids, a time-out is enought but some others need something a little more.
- BJ, Winchester

My mother did the same exact thing to me growing up and it still haunts me.. I am so sad for that little girl.
- lori, manchester

I'm all for discipline. But this is just crazy.



SHES TEN! If you can't "handle" her now, wait until she's 15.
- Ja, Nashua

Tom, Candia: "Spanking is a sign of poor parenting"

I beg to differ. My father would spank the bag off of me when I was a kid and causing mischief. (side note, he is 6 foot, 220 lbs and it's not fat) I grew up just fine. In fact, my parents are literally my best friends. I respect them for everything they have taught me over the years, and I continue to try and learn more form them.
- Ben, Manchester

Excellent post joco.

Spanking is a sign of poor parenting .... it's a violent shortcut on the parent's part. Parents should make the effort to learn better parenting than hitting their kids.
- tom, candia

Let's not blame this woman's behavior on her mental illness. As an adult we are all responsible for our actions. That said, if a child has "been a problem her whole life", then she should have been seen by mental health professionals years ago. Where were the pediatrician and the school officials who saw this child on a regular basis. Noone noticed that this child was a problem except for the mother?? We let another one slip through the cracks. Get the 10 year old help before she becomes her mother.
- Molly, Raymond

tere are a lot of comments about children geting what they deserve an how its the child's fault.. she is still a child an no child deserves that. i don't care what they have done..if the child has a problem or is a problem child then we all should work together to help them.they are our future.. they are our children.. no one no adult has a right to lay thier hands on a child in that way.. if u as a parent can't handle it, then get some help.. there's no excuse!!
- tc, mancester

Jenny, First off children in foster care have a right to be angry. They've been taken away from their entire family. They've been taken from all family members, not just their parents, through no fault of their own. Therefore, they fight back with bad behaviour. They've lost everything they know and love and sit in limbo, worrying what will happen to them next, blaming themselves. Try living in their shoes. You'd be angry too.
As for discipline of children. The government has take that away. A child does not need a beating, by anyone, but a child does need to be taught respect.
- Dot, Nashua

J Concord. I agree with you 100%.
- Missm, Bedford, NH

J. Concord, Quite an imagination that you have. I am sure the police have interviewed more savy individuals than this 10 year old. Get a life or wake up or something. What if?? Give me a break.
- Dawn, Nashua

Children turn out badly because parents raise them badly. No child turns out to be 'a little puke' on his or her own. So many parents beat their children, throw them out of the house, etc. Parents inflict these punishments when children display traits instilled in them by adults.
- Kelley, Manchester

I think its a sad situation! I feel for the little girl and the other children, I pray for them. How could she even think oh my poor animal, all alone. Think about your poor kids. She shouldnt even have an animal if she cant treat her kid(s) right. What a wonderful birthday her other child is going to have. All her children are suffering from such a sad situation. And I hope the animal is taken care of too in a good home.
- BS, Manchester NH

If the facts show that this woman did assault her child than she deserves to have the book thrown at her.

But, let me play devil's advocate for a minute.....

What if this 10-year old is a chronic discipline problem? Someone who has been out-of-control for some time? What if her mother has actually been trying to maintain control of her by cracking down on her and imposing discipline to the point where this 'young lady' decided to 'get back' at her mother?

Believe it or not, kids as young as 10 can formulate these type of vindictive plans. Maybe she had a friend inflict the injuries and then she flies into a rage to draw the police to her home and set up mommy. Is it not possible?

Given the situation of a 10-year old displaying such injuries, and it being a she-said, she-said thing, what choice do the police have but to arrest the mother. But, I'd be interested in hearing where this investigation leads....

If you don't think it can happen, search Pennsylvania news reports from about a week ago when an 11-year old shot and killed his step-mother because she was pregnant with his step-sister or brother and he was jealous!

My trust is in the police, nit the news reports. Lets just see where it leads.....
- J, Concord

Single mom, single dad, mom and dad, whatever. Consistent and fair discipline is the best thing for any child. If you have that then there is really no need for even a spank. Respect between parent and child - that means something. Having dinner or a daily meal together means something.
I don't know what happened to this woman and her child to warrant this type of situation. I hope for both of their sake that there is an intervention that will help solve what is clearly a broken family.
- joco, manchester, nh

It's all this feel-good coddling that got this country in the mess it's in today.
I don't know what happened- you can't always go by someone else's account, but it's just a mess.
We have to stop giving these kids so many rights and start giving them the discipline they need to be responsible.
As long as the cycle of this type of tolerance keeps going on, there will be violence.
It seems that people think kids can do no wrong and I am sure many parents have sought help only to be sent to some counselor who hasn't got any kids.
There are kids that need to be taken away from the parents, not because of the parents, but because they are just bad.
We have no rights to discipline anymore and this is what happens when parents just can't take the kid's crap anymore.
Let's go back to the days when spanking your kid was ok, and the principal of the school took no nonsense from the little pukes.
These kids don't respect anyone because society has taught them that they don't have to.
Just because little Bobby or Janey has issues at home, gives them NO right to disrupt anyone else.
I am sick of the kids today. I woildn't take that from my kids and I wouldn't expect anyone else to either.
Now THERE"S a rant for you!
- Luke, Bristol

Regarding the idea of being intimidated by a 10-year-old: That is absolutely plausible. My parents once provided foster care for an 8-year-old who was terrifying. So yes, a misbehaving 10-year-old can scary. But that does not make it acceptable to beat them up!
In the case of my foster brother and most children with similar behavior issues, there is a history of abuse beyond what most of us can even imagine. Kids don't just turn bad without something setting them off. I'm guessing this is not the first time this little girl has been mistreated.
- Jenny K., Raymond

Now this is a case of REAL child abuse. The mother won't have to worry about her daughter being a problem any longer. All bets say she'll never get her back. It doesn't matter whether the beating was illegal. It was wrong, period. No matter how mad you get at your kids, you never beat them. The poor little girl. There is no excuse. Some parents just don't know how to talk things out with their kids. Beatings are unacceptable.
- Dot, Nashua

WAIT A MINUTE!
Just last year there was article about that father who's daughter cried rape and everybody was all for kicking the kid's butt as well as the daughters.
So it's ok then and not now?
How do you know this kid wasn't a puke as well?
Just because she's 10 doesn't mean she can't be big for her age and brutal herself.
According to the story, this kid has been a problem her whole life, but why has no one stepped in to help this family before?
I wouldn't be so quick to defend either one.
Now this parent will probably go to jail and leave the other kid without a parent. This will be yet another kid and parent we have to support.
- Pauline, Franklin

A single mother of three probably on state support. Where's the father(s) support? What ever happened to the normal family? Where the mother stayed home with the children while the dad worked steady.
This has become a society of "not working cause I can get free support from the government!" Time to stop this free support and get an education and birth control and get a job!
Spanking a child on the butt is okay. But punch, kick or smack a child anywhere else on their body is not right!
- Donna B. D., Manchester

ptsd? still there is no excuse for putting a hand on a child or another..there has been trouble with this child for a long time? sounds like the mother is the one who has issues and doesn't deserve to be called mother..i am enraged..
- sn, manchester

I don't condone beating children. End of story. Spanking with the intention of discipline and not with anger is different than punching a child.

I may be having a sarcastic moment...but another poster commented that there are scary 9 year olds...and that sometimes a mom will just lose it and that's their excuse..

Well the if that's the case, the 10 year old should've punched her back and see how she liked it. Nothing scarier to a child than someone bigger than them beating them up. A good right hook to the might have sufficed...
- Rachel, Derry

I am sorry, but there is nothing that a 10 yr old child could do to deserve this. I grew up in an abusive home. My heart goes out this little girl. My prayers are with you.
- CLS, Manchester

I agree with all of you that hitting a child is wrong. Some children can have unbelieveable behavior problems. My brother's oldest daughter is a beautiful child who is sweet one minute and the next you are terrified she will hurt one of the other children with her rage. Some parents just can't deal with it. When it gets too much for my brother he calls for help and I take her so everyone gets a break. For some reason she is always an angel for me and my husband, but I have seen her fury. It's hard to believe that a 9yr old can scare an adult, but they can. I'm sure the Mom regrets what she did. I hope and pray she gets mental help. I also hope she has some family or friends to help her out when it is just too much to take. Don't hit kids, call family or friends if you need a break.
- Sandi, Londonderry

Where is the father? What a mess this nation has become. Did anyone ever stop and think about the stress parents are under these days. There used to be such a thing as family and extended family to help out. Now, it's everyone for themselves. Then, stuff like this happens. Our dysfunctional society, and culture, or lack thereof, is partly to blame.
- Marc, Mason

To Dick in Derry - I'm afraid 2 black eyes and a bloody lip pretty much says it all. She may be having difficulty with the child but it is beyond time someone steps in to make sure she is given the appropriate skills to handle the trying situations that arise for parents without becoming so frustrated that she harms her children.
- Catherine, Manchester, NH

This woman works at the VA. She's also a vet of the Air Force. I sincerely hope she is not yet another vet suffering from poor care after they have served overseas. Many of our vets come home with anger issues, PTSD... you all have heard about it. Please check into it more.
- Chris, Manchester

For the ones that said we shouldn't condemn because we don't know the WHOLE story, well the whole story is right in front of you !!! She BLACKENED her daughter's eyes, BLOODIED her daughter's lip...ENOUGH SAID !! Right on to Sharon and disgusted in Derry !!!
- Marlene, Lee

Dick writes "Evonne has been very good with her children". If this is anyone's idea of being a good parent then you have a major problem of what is right and wrong. People wonder why some kids are so bad......children learn what they live. Any woman can give birth however that does not make a parent. May God bless this child, I pray that she finds a good and loving home.
- Mabel, Exeter

no we don't know the whole story, this is true, and she might have been a very good mother before, and just snapped, or, perhaps there was abuse going on before that was hidden. What we do know is that a ten year old little girl in her care was severely beaten. That should never have happened. I hope the little girl is ok, and I hope her mother gets the help she seems to need.
- Steph, Concord

Dearest Tonya ,
How in the world can you rant and rave about the UL for this short article ? I't a factual event that resulted in an arrest . I'ts not an editorial .
Tonya , it's snowing outside and it's a fact. I hate the crap , Shame on the UL for even writing about it . Please UL from now on only tell us what we want to hear .
- Lew, Manchester

We should not condemn when we do not know the whole story

are you serious? the bottom line is she blackened her childs eye and bloodied her lip. end of story.
- Barbara, Chester, NH

you need a license to drive a car but anyone can have kids.... there should be a test!
- Rita, Tamworth, NH

I beleive that there is a major difference between spanking your child out of discipline and hitting them out of anger. It would have been nice for The UL to do a bit more research into this story by referencing laws about discipline and abuse. Defining or scoping what would be considered legal and illegal. Even an interview from the same police officer referenced above. Unfortunately we can't always use everyone's judgement as you would see if many people comment on this article, many people would vary in opinion. Also, Dick, for you to write the comment that you posted, I can only assume that your opinion is ill. No matter what happened or what the child did, this is not okay and it is illegal. Why would you state that we do not know the whole story? We don't care about the whole story, we care about a child being abused, end of story. I hope that this little girl can restore herself to happiness, as it is well documented that children abused or neglected at a young age tend to disregard adults and other authoritive figures in the future due to their lack of trust and security.
- Tonya Ferrara, Manchester N.H.

The bail set is much to low. There is nothing wrong with a spank, but beaten, throw away the KEY!!!
- sharon, Manchester

What is wrong with some people? To beat your child for something so frivolous! This is just a child! I pray this girl is not scarred for life by this incident and that this mother gets the help that is so obvious that she needs.
- Rob, Manchester

We should not condemn when we do not know the whole story. Evonne ihas been very good with her children although it is not appropriate to cause that kind of bodily harm.
- Dick Jolivet, Derry, NH

Unbelievable..........why do ADULTS feel the need to hurt children? I will NEVER understand this......

Children are NOT on this earth to be hurt.....unfortunately there are many parents out there that just can't handle having children, and should NOT have children.
- m1e1b1s1, Weathersfield, vt

Some people shouldn't have kids!
- Disgusted, Derry,NH

I have no problem spanking my child if need be. There is no reason to hit a child anywhere other than their but!
- steve, raymond