In re S.K. and V.L.
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
564 A.2d 1382 (1989)
- Written by Deanna Curl, JD
Facts
On July 13, 1986, eight-year-old S.K. set fire to her bed and her parents (defendants) awoke to the smell of smoke. Initially S.K. pretended to help them look for the source of the fire before eventually admitting that she had set the fire. In response to the incident, S.K.’s mother struck her with a belt approximately two times. S.K.’s stepfather also struck her with the belt while the mother called for help. S.K. acted strangely and reportedly stared into space during the incident. S.K.’s mother later took her to the hospital because she was concerned about S.K.’s behavior and emotional state. After S.K. was admitted to a psychiatric unit, hospital staff contacted police because of welts on S.K.’s body due to the beatings. The police found insufficient evidence of abuse, but hospital staff pressed for a hold to be placed on S.K. so that she could not return to her home due to a documented history of abuse in the home. S.K. was eventually placed in shelter care pending a trial. At a trial on April 27, 1987, the court only heard evidence regarding the events surrounding the July 13, 1986 beatings. The trial court subsequently made findings that S.K. was an abused and neglected child. Following disposition, the parents appealed the trial court’s findings.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Rogers, C.J.)
Concurrence/Dissent (Schwelb, J.)
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