MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Police allege a woman neglected and abused children physically and emotionally at a Manitowoc home.
52-year old Kimberly Howell appeared in court Thursday, where a $25,000 signature bond was set.
According to a heavily redacted probable cause statement, five children were placed with Howell, some of which were related to her.
The children told investigators that in one case last week, Howell tried to hit a child because while the child was making hamburgers, the child flipped them too early, causing them to shrink. When the child moved out of the way to avoid being hit, Howell said she hit the child with a belt when the child fell asleep. Howell did eventually hit the child with a belt when the child was pretending to be asleep.
The children also told investigators that Howell makes other children hit, slap and punch a child when that child misbehaves. The children say Howell is afraid to hit that child herself for fear of killing the child. The children say they feel bad for the beatings but do so out of fear of being beaten themselves.
One child allegedly does not have a bedroom or a bed. As punishment, sometimes that child is forced to sleep on hard floors in the bathroom or living room, without blankets or a pillow.
Howell is also accused of making a child wear a soiled Pull-Up all day if that child urinates while sleeping.
In another case, the children say Howell picked up a child by the hair and slamming that child to the ground, causing difficulty breathing.
Another child described being punished by being forced to stand still with arms at the sides for several hours at a time. The child described holding this position even after Howell fell asleep in fear of being beaten.
One child described often being forced to do push-ups after being accused of lying. The child would sometimes falsely confess just to stop doing the push-ups.
The children also said Howell gave instructions to the mother of one child to cut off the child’s ponytail after the child cut a seat belt in Howell’s vehicle.
One of the children described wishing Howell would beat the children so severely they would die and the abuse would end. The child also described attempting suicide by overdosing.
When police interviewed Howell, she admitted making a child do push-ups, witnessing a child’s hair being cut off and making a child stand as punishment. She denied all the other accusations of physical abuse, including telling children to beat another child.
Howell receives financial compensation for some, but not all, of the children, the probable cause statement says.
No formal charges have been filed in the case so far.
Child protective services officials have declined to comment on the case.
Howell is due back in court on January 27th.
