A woman from Ogden is confronting legal issues after being accused of physically assaulting her 13-year-old stepdaughter with a pan and subjecting her to a year of confinement in a makeshift room as a form of punishment.
Danyale Lee Merriman, 36, faced charges in 2nd District Court on Monday for aggravated child abuse, classified as a second-degree felony. Last week, she was taken into custody.
The incident was brought to light via the girl’s middle school.
Authorities report that Merriman assaulted the young teen with a cooking pan and hurled a glass lid at her, resulting in bruises on the girl’s legs, as detailed in the charging documents.
The affidavit reveals that the girl was subjected to living in a makeshift room in the basement as a form of punishment for about a year. Additionally, she was restricted from using the bathroom freely and was compelled to urinate into a cup.
A young girl endured a harrowing existence, isolated in an RV on the premises, where she faced verbal mistreatment, “food discipline,” and was compelled to stand or perform wall sits in a corner for extended periods, as detailed in the legal filings.
According to police, the Department of Child and Family Services has taken all four children from Merriman’s home.
Merriman confessed to hurling a glass pot lid at the girl, detailing how the victim recoiled in fear from the projectile, as stated in the charges.