An 8-year-old girl was beaten, starved, and tortured by her father, Julio Valladares, and his partner Linda Richmond. The girl was homeschooled. Richmond also had a son on whose behalf no charges were filed.

In 2013, someone at the girl’s elementary school noticed her bruises and called in a tip. In response, Valladares pulled the girl from school to homeschool her. Beginning in December 2013, Valladares and Richmond forced the girl to take repeated cold showers, beat her with a belt, starved her, made her sit on a chair for hours causing bedsores, made her lie in a soiled bed for extended periods, and forced her “to sit at a table and write ‘corrections’ for hours while claiming to be homeschooling her.” These punishments were reportedly for bedwetting.

The abuse came to light in October 2014 when the girl went to the hospital and social services called the police. Valladares and Richmond were arrested the following day. Valladares pleaded guilty to abuse and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Richmond was tried and convicted of abuse with the jury recommending a 90-year sentence.

Date: October 17, 2014
Location: Berea, Kentucky

>