An Indiana man was arrested on October 23 after allegedly trying to force a bar of soap into a 7-year-old boy’s mouth as punishment for using a curse word. Daniel Schergen was charged with domestic battery on a person less than 14 years of age, according to the account of the case.
The incident allegedly happened in August while Schergen, his girlfriend and three children were in a car. After one child was dropped off at football practice, the group stopped at Dunkin’. The 7-year-old allegedly began hitting another child, and Schergen reached back from the driver’s seat to intervene. The boy then called Schergen a profanity, according to an affidavit cited in the report.
Schergen allegedly pulled over and asked his girlfriend to buy soap at a Dollar General. When she returned, he reportedly tried to push the bar into the boy’s mouth, striking his forehead. The child was left with a bleeding cut, redness on the right side of his face and bruising to his ear. Schergen’s girlfriend used a first aid kit to treat the wound.
Schergen allegedly told police he did not know how the boy got the bruise on his ear and attributed the facial redness to holding the child’s head down against the car seat. He also said the boy had been suspended from school for hitting other children and had a temper, and that he needed to find a different form of punishment.
LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said Schergen is presumed innocent unless proven guilty or he admits guilt, and declined to comment further because the case is ongoing. Schergen was released after paying a $750 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on January 6. The report said it was unclear whether he had entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Sources: Us Weekly.