A little girl and her brother are safe in North Carolina after police arrested their parents on charges related to allegedly brutally abusing the young girl. Jonathan Niles Orren, 38, and Sylvia Orren, 39, of Vale were charged with child abuse last week after a speech therapist working with the 6-year-old girl noticed bruises on her body.
The children's father reportedly said his daughter was not beaten but that her parents were just disciplining her. Evidence collected at the family's home suggests otherwise. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, video surveillance at the house shows the 6-year-old being beaten several times.
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A social worker visited the home.
A news release from the sheriff's office stated that after the speech therapist noticed bruising on the child's behind, a social worker visited the home for a welfare check. While visiting with the parents, the social worker discovered and photographed a wooden paddle with holes drilled into it.
This paddle was allegedly used to disciple the child. Additionally, the social worker viewed "home security camera footage showing the child being spanked with the wooden paddle," the release stated.
The investigation began on May 12.
The coupled was ultimately arrested May 19, but the release noted that the investigation began a week earlier.
They were each charged with one felony count of child abuse involving any serious injury. Police reported in the news release that Silvia Orren was released on an unsecured bond while Jonathan Orren was released on a $7,500 secured bond.
The 6-year-old victime and her brother, 5, have been placed with relatives in another state, the release noted.
Jonathan Orren is defending his alleged actions.
In a Facebook post from Crime Stoppers of Lincolnton — Lincoln County, the father repeatedly wrote that he was innocent of any crime. First, he responded to a comment from someone defending the actions and pointing out that this type of punishment happened in schools not that long ago.
"exactly and by far was she beaten I love my kids and like the detective said I didn't spank her hard she never cried," he wrote.
In another response, he mentioned the speech therapist and how she should never have seen the bruises.
"Jennifer Craycraft not the case she scratched herself on the bottom after falling off of the swings at school and scraped her elbow. And the speech therapist even stated to us that she lawfully couldn't look at her but yet in the report it stated she did so that's bs my daughter was and will never be beaten," Orren argued.
Another commenter supported the so-called discipline. "Wow, y'all should have grown up in my era. We usually got whooped with a switch. And so far as I know, it's not my generation going around shooting everyone," the person wrote.
"my point exactly. And my daughter wasn't beaten. This is why the world is the way it is today," Orren agreed in the comments.
Others condemned his reported crimes.
"What could a 6 year old do to deserve bruises on their little bottom?" someone commented on the Facebook post.
"This is pretty normal with Narcs, Narcissists are incapable of loving themselves or anyone who loves them, They are not capable of loving anyone not even their child !! feel o sorry for them, I & My Ex Narc were Married for 12years with Children," one woman shared. "I did all my possible best to be faithful to him and I always made up my mind that I want to be the best housewife as that is what I dream of since my college days. Nothing works out when you're with a narcissist."
"F— these weak a–ed pieces of s—'parents'" another person exclaimed.
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Millions of children are abused in the United States each year.
According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, in 2021 alone, more than 7 million children were reported as abused in the US. According to the society's data, five children die from child abuse in the US every day. Of the children who died, nearly 43% suffered physical abuse.
In its mission, the society noted that big changes always start small.
"By providing adults with easily accessible, research-backed parenting support relevant to their lives, we can start a ripple of change that steadily grows, ultimately building happy childhoods and brighter futures for generations to come," the site reads.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
