A Georgia mother has been ordered to serve 40 years in prison after a decade of systemic physical abuse came to light through a brave disclosure made to an elementary school teacher.
Candice McClure, 35, was found guilty of aggravated assault and first-degree cruelty to children following a four-day trial in Cherokee County.
The case broke wide open in 2023 when the victim, a student at a local elementary school, told a teacher about being punched, kicked, and strangled.
According to prosecutors, the child described how McClure used her hands to apply pressure to the victim’s neck and throat. Investigators later discovered the child had been subjected to repeated floggings on the forehead with a belt.
“The schoolteachers are the heroes in this case,” Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said in a statement. “They recognized the signs of abuse and created a safe place for the child to come forward.”
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Following the teacher’s report, the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) and the Canton Police Department launched a joint investigation. During an unannounced home visit, officials photographed significant bruising on the child’s legs and a distinct “patterned injury” on the forehead.
Medical providers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta later confirmed these injuries were consistent with being struck by a belt.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that the violence was not a recent development. McClure had previously been arrested on child cruelty charges in 2016 in a different county when the victim was only 4 years old.
At that time, medical records showed the child had been hospitalized twice with “unexplainable” bruises and scrapes covering their body from head to toe. Prosecutors noted that the family had only recently moved to Cherokee County, and they believe the abuse had been ongoing for nearly ten years.
During the sentencing hearing, the child stood before the court to deliver a victim impact statement. Accompanied by an adoptive parent and a service dog named Parker, the child told the court they finally felt “heard” by the jury. The child directly addressed McClure, stating that no one deserves to be treated in such a manner.
The jury took only two and a half hours to return a guilty verdict after hearing testimony from 12 witnesses, including medical experts and school personnel. Superior Court Judge Wallace ultimately imposed the maximum sentence allowed under Georgia law.
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