Mother to surrender in videotaped beating of girl

Associated Press ^ | September 21, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Mother to surrender in videotaped beating of girl

09/21/2002

Associated Press

MISHAWAKA, Ind. - A woman seen on a department store security tape punching her 4-year-old daughter plans to surrender Saturday, her attorney said Friday night.

Police have been searching for Madelyne Gorman Toogood since Sept. 13, when a camera in a department store parking lot videotaped her punching and shaking her 4-year-old daughter.

The attorney, Stephen Rosen, said Ms. Toogood is on her way to Chicago and will surrender. She is charged with felony battery to a child.

Indiana police took the search nationwide Wednesday when they released the tape. "We want to get the girl the medical attention she needs," Police Chief Anthony A. Hazen said. "We want to get her to an emergency room and let them examine her."

Ms. Toogood is also wanted in Texas on at least two warrants. Fort Worth police said one warrant involves a shoplifting charge in March. Authorities in White Settlement, a Fort Worth suburb, issued an arrest warrant on an unspecified Class C misdemeanor.

Ms. Gorman's sister, 31-year-old Margaret Daley, who authorities say was present at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with failure to report child abuse.

Police received more than 1,000 calls about the video, which was first aired Wednesday night.

Staff writer Laurie Fox contributed to this report.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/092102dnnatbeating.86c.html

[Paul Atreides]

I never thought I would see the day when conservatives would be defending what went on in that video. According to their logic, if I live next door to them, and someone pulls up in front of their house and is trying to entice their children into the car, I am just to mind my own business. I, too, believe in the right to discipline a child, but within reason. That beating on the video was without reason.

[avenir]

"I just know that it breaks my heart every time I have to dicipline my Son with a smack on the wrist and he cries. The only thing that keeps me doing it is that I know if I fail, my Son'll end up wrong; without borders or respect."

God bless you! You obviously love your child, and believe me when he is older he will give thanks for your loving discipline.

[Paul Atreides]

I get the feeling that the only thing that concerns the defenders of that woman is that she was caught on camera. She was in a PUBLIC place. No one followed her to her house and sat at one of the windows with a camcorder or a microphone. I cannot believe what I have been reading on the threads, pertaining to this travesty.

[Alissa]

I saw the lawyer's interview last night and he said he hadn't met the mother or seen the child. His only conversations with his new client have been by phone. He's going on hearsay that the child was not bruised.

[eddie willers]

I downloaded the full video. I have reviewed it several times at different speeds.

I think this is where part of the confusion comes.

I don't care if you have a cable / DSL/ or T1 connection, you will NOT get the smoothness and resolution that you see on a television set. MSNBC ran the assault (no other word for it) as a loop and it is quite plain she used fists to the head.

And that's still second generation or so.
Imagine what the original (and digitally enhanced) video reveals.
Might explain why law enforcement is so upset.

I'd like to know if you have only viewed this via Internet.
Everyone who has seen the video in higher resolution is horrified....
and should be.

[RabidBartender]

Not conservatives....libertarians.

This case just ended in my town: http://www.stjoenews-press.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=32285&SectionID=81&SubSectionID=272&S=1

"A jury took barely 40 minutes Wednesday to convict Isaiah Washington Sr. of murdering his 2-year-old son by kicking and slamming the toddler’s head onto the floor.

Isaiah Washington Sr., 19, had pleaded innocent to the second-degree charge. He faces 10 to 30 years or life in prison for the death of Isaiah Washington Jr.

In earlier testimony in the trial, William Washington Jr., Isaiah Washington Sr.’s brother, testified he saw his brother kick the toddler so hard the boy rose four feet in the air and landed about six feet away in their mother’s home at 1606 Buchanan Ave. in St. Joseph."



But at least Mr. Washington's liberty wasn't impeded on by the jackboot thugs before he got the chance to finish the job. That would have been a real tragedy, eh?(-saracasm)

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

What is your point? Are you saying she isn't a white trash whore? As far as I am concerned that statement is too mild. Is the picture you posted supposed to prove something?

[sam_paine]

People need to have the right to discipline their children

Interestingly, this debate about how she should or should not have behaved could not have occured without big-brother watching through the camera.

Now we all have the opportunity to put this woman in jail and/or put the kid in a foster home etc. Perhaps sending the kid to a foster home and this woman to jail might keep the little girl from physical injury or worse....but next time, maybe you will be investigated for spanking your child?

I think we all need to put our tin-foil hats on and realize how much that "unobtrusive" camera in the KMart parking lot can forever change your family's life.

[southern rock]

Uhhhh.... By virtue of the laws pertaining to child abuse that are in place, for the benefit of those who have been living under a stone somewhere.

Are those constitutional laws? If you believe that the government, state, federal, or otherwise, has the power to remove child from natural parent, then anything else you claim to believe as an supposed individualistic, non-intrusive government "conservative" is meaningless.

If this mother is guilty of aggravated assault, then arrest her and charge her with aggravated assault. If she is convicted, then she should go to prison, and the child goes into the sole custody of the father or next of kin, aka closest living relative. If the mom is found not guilty, then she is not guilty, and she goes home with her daughter. At NO TIME should a child be in the custody of a government agency. Government has not been delegated that authority by the people.

[Paul Atreides]

That's right! If it helped to identify the man who abducted a woman/girl, with the intention of raping and slitting her throat, that would be horrible.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I am sorry that your mother beat you. She obviously warped you.

[galt-jw]

lets all show our outrage to maintain our ego integrity! yay!

In virtually every city and town of our nation, there are children who have sub human lives as a commonplace occurence. Starvation, abuse far, far worse, seriously disturbed parents, the "who's my daddy?" syndrome, rape, etc.

This is going on right now, somewhere.

So what? Where's the consistency?

Either do what you can afford to in this area via charity, or donate time, etc., and show this issues means something to a degree that you desire it to change, or don't.

If it is in your self interest to help others, do it. If it is not, and one does nothing to stop the status quo, any outrage is a pretense.

[homeschool mama]

You may have raised 6 children but that doesn't mean you know *how* to raise children. Beating is not discipline.

[Paul Atreides]

Remember the little boy who was abducted out of his front yard? His little friend was able to identify the abductor and they got a working sketch of him. I guess the little witness needs a rap in the mouth for not minding his own business.

[ozzymandus]

This woman is criminal trash, but I can't help wondering how many wanted murderers are walking around free while the media obsesses over this.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Damn, you are good. you said "The next type of post I await is the "My father shot me in the face with a bazooka every night, and it was GOOD FOR ME!"

posted by VRWC post #21.

I believe I suffered spankings a lot worse that what 'millions of outraged Americans' saw on TV last night and they were to my own good, God bless my mother who was usually in charge with my discipline. I love her for helping me turn into the happy, successful individual that I am today and I love her for loving me enough to really care about what I growing into.

[sam_paine]

evidence needs to be nailed down before the CPS gestapo gets their hands on the kid.

Every get together we have with other parents always brings about the stories of falling off a swing or a bike and going to the hospital. EVERY one of those stories now includes the part about interrogating the child "did mommy tell you to say that?" Or getting corroborating testimony from the 4 yr old sibling.....gestapo is correct. You realize that one wrong word from the kids and you could lose them "pending the investigation!"

[homeschool mama]

thank you