Gretta Feil, 50, of Lebanon, Indiana, was watching her grandkids after picking them up from her son’s home in Alabama when child welfare workers made a horrifying discovery involving her 4-year-old granddaughter’s genitals. To make things worse, the grandma reportedly inflicted the wounds on the youngster as a sort of punishment after the toddler urinated on the sofa.
Third-degree burns were detected on the small girl’s face, scalp, and genitals, which Feil first claimed happened when the baby got into her cream and lotions inside her Kise Estates flat. The kid, on the other hand, gave her mom a quite different narrative, and an inquiry revealed that the girl’s wounds were not accidental, instead being a punishment for urinating on the sofa.
It wasn’t “creams and lotions” that had caused the burns. Investigators believe the youngster was burned in the shower based on what she told her mom. Other relatives verified the kid’s complaints of abuse, telling police that Feil hit her granddaughter with a wooden backscratcher before dragging her into a toilet, where she could be heard wailing. Neighbors also reported hearing screaming and cussing coming from the flat, according to authorities.
Investigators found that the girl’s injuries could have been caused by scalding water, correlating with the child’s version of events. It was soon discovered that Feil had become so outraged by her granddaughter’s “wetting accident” that she put the girl in the shower, where water temperatures reached 132 degrees in just 15 seconds and got as hot as 137 degrees in as little as 30 seconds.
The youngster was scalded in the shower by the scorching hot water, leaving her permanently disfigured. Unfortunately, they were not her only wounds. The youngster also had bruises on her abdomen, thighs, shins, arms, and buttocks, according to the probable cause affidavit. She also suffered bleeding beneath her skin as a consequence of blunt force trauma and had increased enzymes, suggesting injured organs.
This youngster was subjected to horrendous abuse, said Special Victims Prosecutor Heidi Jennings. Despite the fact that her brother, who was also under Feil’s care, was not hurt, the child had difficulty walking when police interrogated her. Luckily, the girl’s own grandmother’s horrific abuse was found before it was too late.
The Riley Child Protection Team, which evaluated the youngster, informed investigators that if the assault had not been halted, the kid would have died. According to Jennings, Feil’s child abuse was becoming worse. She stated that the evidence indicates that Gretta Feil’s mistreatment of this youngster was escalating.
Gretta Feil was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to burning her little granddaughter severely. On two felony charges of aggravated violence, she was sentenced to 12 years in jail. She will spend four years on probation after serving time in prison. According to Boone County prosecutors, Feil’s combined 16-year sentence is the maximum for a Category 3 felony.
She’s doing well now, Jennings said of the child victim, who was back in Alabama. Her parents are highly supportive of her and the prosecution, and they communicate with them on a regular basis. She’s recovering. Other injuries, though, are emotional rather than physical, and Jennings hopes that Feil’s sentence will help to heal those scars.
Jennings said in a statement that her physical wounds are mending, and they hope that this sentence today contributes to her emotional scars healing. She also gave advice to those who may witness similar abuse. “Everyone in the community can assist them in protecting their children,” Jennings added. They are grateful to everyone who helped save this child’s life, particularly the neighbors who did not disregard the child’s distress screams, she said. They did what all people should do: see something and say something.
