A 35-year-old woman from Wisconsin has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison for the severe physical and emotional abuse of her adopted 15-year-old son, with the judge comparing the conditions of the boy’s home to a “concentration camp.”
On Tuesday, Bayfield County Circuit Court Judge John P. Anderson sentenced Brianne Faye Nicoletti to 25 years in a state correctional facility, followed by 20 years of supervised release for her serious offenses, according to court records.
Nicoletti has admitted guilt to multiple charges, including child abuse with intent to cause significant injury, first-degree reckless endangerment, neglect leading to serious harm to a child, inflicting mental harm on a child, and false imprisonment.
Six extra charges initially filed against Nicoletti were dismissed but still presented, allowing the judge to take them into account when determining the defendant’s sentence.
A report from the Ashland Daily Press reveals that Anderson criticized Nicoletti in front of a nearly full courtroom, describing her case as “one of the most disturbing I’ve ever seen” and likening her home to “Bayfield County’s Concentration Camp.”
Prosecutors have detailed that Nicoletti allegedly deprived the boy of food, permitting him to eat just once a day, if he was allowed to eat at all, resulting in him being described as “emaciated” with “sunken cheeks/eyes,” according to court documents. She would also strike him with a hollow metal tube for seemingly harmless actions, like eating without permission.
In November 2023, a boy fled his home due to starvation and abuse, as reported by the Daily Press. Nicoletti’s boyfriend is said to have discovered him, leading to his return to the room. In an effort to prevent him from staying outside for long, Nicoletti allegedly made cuts in his winter coat when he tried to leave the home.
“She’s not human. (The victim was) placed with a monster,” Assistant District Attorney Lynne Van Hollen, who prosecuted the case, reportedly told the court. “In her mug shot, she’s smiling. I’ve never seen this. She has not expressed any remorse.”
Before the sentence was delivered, Nicoletti spoke to the court and expressed remorse for the harm she caused to the child.
Anderson clearly expressed to Nicoletti that he did not believe her insincere remorse, reportedly describing the conclusion of the case as “one of the saddest moments in Bayfield County.”
The judge expressed his belief that Nicoletti exhibited sociopathic traits and had a knack for evading justice.