A Texas mother is currently held on a $3 million bond for committing an incredibly cruel punishment against her children, which has shocked the community.
Last week, Sara Anne Woody, a 24-year-old resident of Burkburnett, Texas, was arrested and is now facing a total of 30 criminal charges. These charges include 27 counts of injury to a child and two charges of witness tampering.
According to reports from the Wichita Falls Times Record News, Woody allegedly forced her two sons, aged 7 and 12, to lick filthy toilet rims as a form of punishment when she believed they were lying to her. Additionally, she is accused of using a belt to strike their genitals and burning their tongues with a charcoal grill lighter.
The authorities were alerted to the situation after one of the boys was taken to the hospital for a lip injury. Further investigations into the household revealed the disturbing pattern of punishment that Woody inflicted on the boys whenever she suspected them of lying.
For instance, if she believed they were stealing food, she would make them consume a concoction containing apple cider vinegar, intentionally inducing vomiting.
The victims were interviewed at Patsy’s House Child Advocacy Center in Wichita Falls. One of the victims described how Woody would force him to do push-ups and would repeatedly hit him with a paddle or tent pole if he couldn’t complete the exercise.
Detective Donald Osborn, who has been working on the case since March, was shocked by the physical condition of the 12-year-old boy, mistaking him for a much younger child due to his small stature.
Jonathan Darrell Woody, the husband of Sara Anne Woody, was also arrested by authorities. He faces three counts of child endangerment and one charge of witness tampering. His bail is set at $550,000. It is alleged that he was aware of his wife’s actions but failed to intervene.
The witness tampering charges stem from the accusation that the parents instructed the children to lie to authorities. The two boys, along with three other children who resided in the couple’s home, have been placed with family members.
