St. woman charged with malicious punishment of autistic daughter

August 4, 2011

By Gurnon

egurnon@...

Updated: 08/02/2011 09:39:09 PM CDT

A St. woman was charged with malicious punishment of her 5-year-old

autistic daughter after a school social worker noticed scratches on the girl's

face and an apparent cord mark around her neck, a court document said.

The mother, Janet Lynn Fox, 30, told police the girl would not sit still while

Fox tried to comb her hair, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in

Ramsey County District Court.

" She became angry and stressed because she wanted her daughter to look pretty, "

the complaint said. " She stated that she used the comb and struck (her daughter)

on her face...(and used) a blanket around her daughter's neck to keep her from

moving while she combed her hair. "

A phone number listed for Fox was not in service Tuesday.

She was ordered to appear in court Sept. 6. Until then, she is barred from

contact with her daughter or any child younger than 16, " unless approved by

Child Protection, " the document said.

Other court records indicate that Fox also has a son.

According to the complaint:

Police were called April 6 to the Rondo Learning Center, a special-education

program of St. Public Schools, on Concordia Avenue in St. .

The school's social worker told them the 5-year-old has a mental disability and

cannot talk, making it impossible for her to relate what had happened to her.

Officers saw scratch marks on the girl's face, a bruise on her left cheek and a

red mark around her neck.

Medical staff at the Midwest Children's

Resource Center at Children's Hospitals and Clinics in St. noted the girl

had been diagnosed with autism and a seizure disorder. They said they believed

her injuries were caused by physical abuse.

A school social worker previously reported two other cases of possible child

abuse involving the girl, one Oct. 8 and the other Feb. 17.

On the first occasion, the girl had bite and pinch marks on her arms; her

grandmother reported that a cat had bitten her and that the mother was

blameless. The second time, the girl had a swollen area on her stomach. Her

mother said the child had been scratching herself with a brush, according to the

criminal complaint.

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