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Stepfather made 11-year-old plank for bad grades, hit her for doing it wrong, deputies say

Maurice Berry (Richmond County Sheriff's Office)

RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia man is being accused of mistreating his stepdaughter after becoming upset about her grades.

Maurice Berry, 30, was arrested and charged with cruelty to children earlier this month in Richmond County.

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According to an incident report obtained by Channel 2 Action News, school administrators noticed bruises and swelling on Berry’s 11-year-old stepdaughter.

When they asked her what happened, she said her mother and stepfather were upset about her grades.

The child said that Berry and her mother made her get into a plank position that morning and over the weekend as punishment. She said that they told her that she was doing the exercise wrong, according to the report.

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That’s when the report says, they grabbed a wooden support from underneath the bed and hit the girl in her right arm and leg several times.

Deputies contacted DFACS after hearing about the incident.

Richmond County jail records show Berry is being held on a $17,315 bond. It’s unclear if the girl’s mother was arrested.

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