Left: Lewis Nuzum II. Right: Josephine Nuzum (West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation).
In a distressing case from West Virginia, a 9-year-old girl arrived at school bearing facial bruises and reportedly informed staff that her parents had subjected her to physical abuse using a metal flyswatter, belt, and a wooden paddle with holes. Authorities further allege that the young girl was frequently confined to her room by her parents when they “went out to smoke.”
Lewis Nuzum II, aged 52, and Josephine Nuzum, 45, now face charges of child abuse resulting in injury and child neglect resulting in injury. These charges come on the heels of an investigation conducted by the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, as documented in court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
Details from the charging documents, which were acquired by the local CBS affiliate WDTV, provide insight into the accusations. The documents also include statements made by the couple, which attempt to offer their perspective on the situation.
During the investigation, police reported that the Nuzums admitted to disciplining the child by hitting her when she misbehaved. However, both parents allegedly insisted that they only used their hands for this discipline. In contrast, the child recounted to school staff that her parents employed a silver and green metal flyswatter, a brown belt with a turquoise buckle, and the wooden paddle as instruments of punishment, according to WDTV’s report.
Lewis Nuzum purportedly confessed to police, saying he would “beat the a— off her,” yet maintained it was solely with his hand. Meanwhile, Josephine Nuzum mentioned to the authorities that such allegations seem to surface annually as the school year begins, according to the charging documents.
Josephine Nuzum told police that the girl “does this every year school starts,” in reference to the abuse allegations, according to the charging documents.
The girl had bruises on her face and eyelid that she said came from being hit with the flyswatter. She told cops she “cried really hard” after being hit and her father tried to keep her from going to school the next day but she “wanted to go,” WDTV reports, citing the charging documents.
When police asked about locking the girl in her room, the Nuzums allegedly claimed they had “caught her calling 911 before” while they were outside smoking. She did this by retrieving “a cellphone out of their room,” according to the couple.
Police searched the home and found what they allege was a wooden block with screws and a locking mechanism attached to it that lined up with holes in the girl’s bedroom door.
The Nuzums were arrested and booked at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail. Court records show bail was set at $100,000 for Lewis Nuzum and $50,000 for Josephine Nuzum. They were both still behind bars Monday.
