THIBODAUX, La. — The 15-year-old girl, who law enforcement says was tortured by her own mother and her mother's boyfriend, remains in the hospital.
According to the sheriff, the abuse was able to go undetected, in part because the teen was homeschooled.
It's a case that's shocked even the most experienced law enforcement professionals. At a press conference on May 16, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet said, "I have children, I have grandchildren, I'd protect them with my whole life, for somebody to do that to their child, I can't even put it to words or understand."
Sheriff Soignet says in April, Latonya Harris and Terrence Washington, a 15-year-old girl, and another child had left Louisiana and had a car accident in Baytown, Texas. The sheriff said when Texas authorities arrived at the accident, they found the 15-year-old suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, and 30 percent of her body had third or fourth-degree burns. The sheriff says Washington shot the teen twice on two separate days, and she was denied medical treatment. He says the burns were inflicted by her own mother.
"In mid-February, the teenager was burned after Latonya Harris discovered a sexual assault was committed on the juvenile by her fiancé Terrance Washington. Harris burned the juvenile with a flammable liquid and a lighter."
The Department of Children and Family Services said the teen "sustained gunshot wounds to her chest, left lower cheek area, and near her eye. The child lost her left eye due to the gunshot wound to the face."
When asked how the abuse went unnoticed, the sheriff said, "They were homeschooled."
According to the state board of education, parents need to get approval from the state to homeschool their kids. If approved, parents must select and use a curriculum to teach their child and determine the child’s grade placement. Parents also have to submit home study applications to the state department for approval.
The Department of Child and Family Services said the latest incidents of abuse were not the first concerning the family.
In April 2013, it found a "valid case of physical abuse with the mother as the perpetrator, concerning the child. The family was referred for outside services as a result of the April 2013 investigation."
In April 2014, it found another 'valid case of physical abuse with the mother as the perpetrator, concerning the child. The child was placed in Foster Care for a short period of time as a result of the April 2014 investigation. The family received In-home services once the child returned home following the removal in April 2014."
According to the sheriff the teen remains in the hospital.