What to Know
A Minnesota woman is facing a litany of charges stemming from the abuse of a child. Paula McCallister abused the child for nearly a year and a half before anything was done. The abuse was severe, with the woman denying the child food and water for days on end. Other types of punishment were physical, with prolonged periods of being forced to stand or kneel.
Altogether, the abuse was nothing short of torture, which McCallister was charged with. If she was sentenced, she could spend upwards of 25 years in prison. Currently, the relationship between the woman and the child, who also has a sibling, is unknown.
The abuse lasted for well over a year.
According to the criminal complaint obtained by KBJR, the abuse lasted from September 2024 until January 2026.
The complaint alleges that McCallister would force the child to stand with their toes and nose pressed up against a wall. This punishment would last from when they woke up until it was bedtime. Investigators said that the child’s sibling told them the child was to “go on the wall” every day.
The only time the victim was spared was if McCallister decided to give them another chance. But the punishment could last all day if the child spoke or turned around.
In addition to the wall punishment, the woman would withhold food from the child for days at a time when the child was accused of stealing food. The child could be locked in a room without food and water for days at a time. They were also forced to perform workouts for hours.
The child was forced to kneel on grains of rice while holding weights.
On one occasion, Paula McCallister pushed the child to the ground, got a pistol, loaded it, and cocked it. “Your death would bring me sweet relief,” she told the child as she held the pistol to their forehead.
In the complaint, it states that shortly before the children were removed from her home, McCallister kicked the victim to the ground and strangled them. She was also banging the child’s head on the wall.
Court records state that witnesses heard the noise and went upstairs to tell McCallister to stop. But the assault didn’t stop until the witness called 911.
Initially, the child denied the abuse.
During a second forensic interview, the child allegedly told investigators they had been instructed by McCallister to keep quiet. She told the child that police would never believe them and they would be returned to her care because she had a clean record.
McCallister was charged on July 24, 2026 in St. Louis County District Court. She is facing multiple charges. They include torture of a child, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, domestic assault by strangulation, and neglect or endangerment of a child.
Paula McCallister posted a $100,000 bail and was released from police custody. She was expected to return to court on July 29.
