Three abusive women have been arrested in New Jersey after they reportedly treated their 13-year-old relative like a dog and forced her to wear an electric shock collar as punishment.
The accused, Rachel Mennig, 20; Rebecca Mennig, 22; and Kelly Mennig, 42, have been taken into custody and charged with one count each of aggravated assault, child abuse, and neglect of a child after they allegedly maltreated a 13-year-old girl by coercing her to wear an electric shock collar as a cruel form of punishment, Law & Crime reported.
On Tuesday, March. 1, officers with the Stratford Police Department responded to a 911 call about possible child abuse after a woman named Karen Vilec informed them that a little girl had come to her door wearing a shock collar and begging for help.
After first responders arrived at the scene, they observed that the child, identified in court documents by the initials I.D., had “markings on her neck consistent with wearing the collar.” The officers then transported the child to Jefferson Hospital in Stratford for medical treatment, the Daily Mail reported.
When the authorities subsequently interviewed the child, she reportedly said that her relative, Rachel Mennig, frequently put the collar around her neck and shocked her several times as a form of punishment, claiming that the woman had done this to her multiple times in the past.
Following this, the New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) removed the child from the home and brought her to the Camden County Child Advocacy Center.
During a follow-up forensic interview, the child told investigators that Rachel first began using the shock collar on her when she was only 9 years of age. The child also alleged that she was deprived of the appropriate amounts of food and clothing amenities while in the suspects' care.
When questioned by the officers, all three women denied having any knowledge about the shock collar. However, the authorities' suspicions were later confirmed by an unidentified witness who also resides in the house where the alleged abuse occurred. The witness reportedly corroborated the allegations, adding that the girl was also deprived of food and amenities and that the child was forced to assist the adults with shoplifting.
Following the incident, the Mennigs face charges of aggravated assault, child abuse, and neglect, and are being held at the Camden County Jail.
Meanwhile, the 13-year-old girl was reportedly put in the care of a local foster family.
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