HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (TCN) — Two parents are in custody after the mother allegedly beat her 7-year-old daughter nearly to death while the child’s father watched but did not intervene.
On Dec. 2, police were called to a residence regarding an unresponsive child. When officers arrived, Jennifer Revis, 33, told them her daughter was having a seizure and had been bitten by a dog, according to WKRC.
WXIN reports that the child was taken to a hospital with bruising and significant brain damage. Doctors said the injuries were non-accidental.
After she was admitted, she underwent surgery to relieve pressure on her brain that had built up due to blunt force trauma. According to WPTA, a doctor said the child is unlikely to survive.
In an interview with law enforcement, WXIN reports that Ryan Revis, 28, the child’s father, told authorities he did not know the alleged abuse was life-threatening, but that he saw the child was afraid of Jennifer and he refused to intervene because he was afraid of losing his other children.
WXIN reports Jennifer Revis told investigators she “beat the s–t out of her” and that the child was “awful to deal with.” She detailed past incidents of physical discipline, including pushing her through a doorway with enough force for her to strike the wall and hitting her with a closed fist. She reportedly told officers she “went too far” and should have had more self-control.
According to WPTA, Jennifer told law enforcement that the abuse was rage-induced and caused by perceived disrespect but could only provide vague descriptions of disrespectful behavior.
Jennifer Revis was charged with neglect of a dependent causing catastrophic injury, aggravated battery, and domestic battery with serious injury under 14, according to WKRC. Ryan Revis was charged with neglect of a dependent causing catastrophic injury. Both are being held at the Blackford County Jail, according to WPTA.
Initial hearings for both are scheduled for Dec. 10, WXIN reports.
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