She had ‘uncountable whip and lash marks’: Trio arrested in beating of 8-year-old girl

When an 8-year-old girl didn’t do her homework or got in trouble at school, her mother, brother and brother’s father felt a stern talking-to wasn’t enough.

They beat her, whipped her and abused her multiple times over several months with extension cords, phone cables, hangers and belts, according to reports from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

On May 16, BSO’s Child Protective Investigations received a complaint of child abuse at their West Park home, the report said. When they arrived, the girl and Duane Fletcher, her brother’s father, were there.

The child was covered in scars, scabs, blisters and bruises from whip marks, the report said.

When her brother, Rashad Forman, came home deputies spoke with him and he told them that he struck the child with a belt but didn’t use the buckle, the report said. He said he disciplined her because she was not doing well in school.

The child was removed from the home and placed into Child Net, a foster care system, the report said. When she was given a medical examination, her wounds were more than a few marks.

Deputies said the child had “an uncountable number of whip and lash marks” all over her body . So many that medical staff had to count them in groups.

She had new, red lash marks; fresh, scabbed lash marks; and several healed, old lash marks, the report said. She had no unscarred skin on the back of her upper thighs.

The child was very specific when she told authorities that the marks were caused by her brother Rashad and her mother Truella Forman, the report said. During the examination, she said she was scared of them and going back home.

A few days later the child told authorities what happened to her.

On May 13, she said that she got “a whooping with a jump rope” by her brother Rashad because he had thought she didn’t do her homework. Her brother told her to “get your rag.”

She told authorities she’s “supposed to put it in my mouth so nobody can hear me.”

He then got a “grown up rope” and beat her on her legs, the report said. She also said that Fletcher was home and “he didn’t save me.” He just laughed and said she deserved every whooping.

Later that day her mother came home and when she heard the situation, she beat the child with a hanger and then told her to do her homework, the report said. When she realized the girl had already done her homework, the mother beat her again.

This isn’t the first time Child Protective Investigations heard about what was happening to the little girl, the report said. The girl was taken away from her mother in 2015 because of child abuse and her five other children being taken away, the report said. The little girl was reunited with mother a year later.

Two years later, the abuse complaints started again.

In 2018, Child Protective Investigations received several complaints about her situation but didn’t remove her because they did not find any immediate danger to the girl.

Turella Forman and Rashad Forman were charged with aggravated child abuse and released Friday.

Duane Fletcher was charged with child neglect with great bodily harm and is still in jail on a $50,000 bond.

This story was originally published June 5, 2019 at 3:13 PM.