A 28-year-old Waukesha woman was charged on Jan. 8 in Waukesha County Circuit Court with failure to prevent harm to a child, allegedly allowing her boyfriend to beat her 8-year-old son with a belt.
The woman's boyfriend, also 28, was charged with physical abuse of a child for his alleged role in the incident. Neither person will be identified to protect the child's identity.
According to the criminal complaint, the mother's aunt first reported the abuse to Waukesha Police on Nov. 5.
She said she found 30 separate bruises on the boy's buttocks, groin area, legs and arms, the complaint states.
Police interviewed the child, who said that his mother's boyfriend had beaten him with a belt because he was being disrespectful to teachers, according to the complaint. Police noted he had an 8- to 10-inch bruise on his right thigh and multiple bruises on his forearms.
The boyfriend admitted to hitting the child with a belt and the mother provided the belt used, according to the complaint.
The mother and boyfriend were each released on a $2,000 signature bond after an initial court appearance on Jan. 20. Both parties was ordered to have no contact with the child, except as authorized by the county's human services department.
The boyfriend is next expected to appear in court on Jan. 30; the mother is next expected in court on Feb. 17.