Grandmother, 50, gets 12 years in prison for leaving her granddaughter with permanent scars by scalding her in a hot shower as punishment for wetting herself
Gretta Feil, of Indiana, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by probation, for burning and beating her granddaughter
An Indiana grandmother has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for scalding her young granddaughter in the shower and disfiguring her as punishment for going to the bathroom on the couch.
Gretta Feil, also known as Gretta Wilburn, of Boone County, learned her fate on Tuesday, a month after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated battery in connection to the incident that took place in April.
Feil was arrested after the Indiana Division of Child Services discovered that her granddaughter had extensive third-degree burns requiring surgery on her face, scalp and genitals.
The child had been living with her grandmother in Lebanon since April 2, when Feil picked her up along with her brother from her parents' home in Alabama.
According to a probable cause affidavit cited by Fox59, Feil was supposed to return the children to their parents on Easter Sunday weekend, but she falsely claimed that state lines had be closed because of the coronavirus outbreak, making it impossible for her to drive her grandchildren home.
Feil scalded her granddaughter (pictured above with her brother and other relatives) with hot water in April, causing third-degree burns to her face, scalps and genitals requiring surgery
The case began unfolding on April 22, after Feil's neighbors at Kise Estates Apartments in Lebanon reported hearing screaming and loud cursing coming from her unit.
Police responded to Feil's home and took her granddaughter to a child advocacy center, after which she was rushed to Riley Hospital for Children.
When the girl was examined by medics, she was found to have bruises on her stomach, thighs, shins, arms and buttocks, reported Greensburg Daily News.
She also had bleeding under her skin caused by blunt force trauma, and lab tests showed internal injuries to the child's organs. Court records stated the girl had difficulty walking.
A nurse practitioner concluded that the girl will likely be permanently scarred and disfigured from being burned.
Investigators said Feil burned her granddaughter as punishment for relieving herself on the couch. She also beat her with a backscratcher, leaving the girl with bruises all over her body
When questioned by police, Feil tried to explain away the burns on her granddaughter's face by claiming that the child had applied various creams and lotions to her skin.
She also claimed that other adults dragged her over the carpet.
The Department of Child Services investigated the allegations and found that Feil had forced the girl under hot water after she had relieved herself on the couch. The victim's brother appeared unharmed.
Family members later told police that in addition to burning her granddaughter, Feil also beat her with a wooden backscratcher, according to the documents.
The nurse who examined the victim said that had she remained in Feil's care and the abuse continued, it could have potentially escalated and led to her death.
'This child suffered horrific abuse,' Boone County Special Victim’s Prosecutor Heidi Jennings said in a press release. 'Her physical scars are healing, and we hope that this sentence today helps the healing process for her emotional scars.'