An Indiana couple may face charges after police claim they singled out their 10-year-old son for neglectful treatment.
According to court documents obtained by the Muncie Star Press, Melody Greenwood, 38, and Adam Greenwood, 36, were arrested by Muncie, Indiana police in late February after bringing their 10-year-old son to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.
Medical personnel notified the Indiana Department of Child Services when they noticed the boy exhibiting signs of “nutritional” neglect and child abuse, police say. When law enforcement interviewed the boy and his family, the child allegedly described a harrowing experience at the hands of his parents.
According to police, the boy was “extremely skinny” and had “scars and marks on his wrists” that appeared “consistent with restraints,” according to an arrest affidavit. The boy reportedly told officers that his mother had zip-tied his wrists.
The boy also told officers that his mother allegedly zip-tied his hands behind his back while his seven siblings were getting ready for bed, according to WXIN, a local Fox affiliate that cited the documents.
She allegedly made the child wear the restraints to bed before removing them with scissors, leaving scars on the boy’s wrists. The boy told police that the zip ties caused him pain because they were too tight.
According to the documents, no other siblings received the same treatment as the 10-year-old. In interviews with the other children, police stated that the alleged singled-out boy was frequently forced to stand against a wall for “10-12 hours” and “grounded” due to behavioral issues.
The siblings were also allegedly told to “beat him up” if he moved away from the wall, the boy claimed.
When it came to how the parents fed their eight children, Melody Greenwood claimed that the 10-year-old was given “canned food, vegetables, and protein” and was forbidden from snacking or eating junk food. The other children, on the other hand, were given “cheeseburgers and fast food.”
The documents also claimed that the boy was forbidden from watching television or playing video games. According to reports, a towel was placed over his head to prevent him from participating.
Melody Greenwood allegedly told police that all of her children were home-schooled; however, when police spoke with the children, they revealed that the two oldest siblings read three chapters of a book to their younger siblings while their parents went to work.
Melody and Adam Greenwood were arrested by Muncie police and are facing several preliminary charges of child neglect. They were both booked into the Delaware County Jail and released after posting bond.
The case is now in the hands of Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman, who has yet to decide whether or not the Greenwoods will face formal charges.
