The cruelty that a human being can deal to another can sometimes be unbelievable, and a couple in New Jersey certainly did their best to be the absolute worst people alive. Brenda Spencer and Branndon Mosley, a mother and stepdad around their early forties, were charged with a slew of crimes, including aggravated assault, sexual assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. Their daughter had escaped their home and told the police how she had been abused, and what the authorities learned was unthinkable.
“[This is] one of the most despicable cases we’ve run across,” Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins told reporters, per NBC News. Reportedly, the girl had been living in inhumane conditions, including a dog crate, a padlocked bathroom, and an empty room with nothing but a bucket to use as a toilet. The New Jersey parents even had an alarm system that alerted them if their daughter tried to escape. She had been living like an abused animal since the sixth grade, which was when her mother suddenly decided to pull her out of school and lock her away in her home.
Not only was the daughter living like an animal with other poorly treated animals in the house, but she was also sexually abused and beaten by her stepdad. Luckily, a neighbor somehow managed to help the New Jersey 18-year-old escape, but the girl will undoubtedly be mentally, physically, and emotionally scarred for life. Reddit users who heard about this news story want the worst possible punishment for the mother and stepdad involved.
“I am not entirely against capital punishment. They both get the chair,” an individual comments, with over a hundred upvoting in agreement. “This is why I’m not against the death penalty,” seconds another. “Put the monsters where monsters belong,” adds a third. While many are calling for heavy justice to be brought down on the couple, several commenters share similar stories about either themselves or someone they knew who experienced a bad homeschooled childhood.
“The idea that a parent can lock a child away from the world is terrifying,” remarks a user. Of course, not every parent who homeschools their child is abusive like Spencer and Mosley, but the negative effects sheltering one’s kids can have on their mental can become a serious problem. Hopefully, some regulations or government restrictions will be put in place to prevent anyone from locking their children away in cages or simply refusing them a normal upbringing in society.
