Dad with summer visitation beats boy unconscious (Worcester, Massachusetts)

UPDATE: The little boy was removed from life support on June 23, 2009, and is now dead. Rest in peace, little child.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/mostpopular/19835534/detail.html

Father LESLIE D. SCHULER had just received summer custody of the 7-year-old boy from the boy's grandmother, who had legal custody and lived in Alabama. For reasons this article doesn't explore, the mother was taking care of the boy on weekends, but "Mr. Schuler did not allow her to see her son recently, according to the family." [read: abuser control freak?]
So what does "gatekeeping" daddy do once he has summer custody? He and his useless girlfriend assault the child over the next 8 weeks, leaving the boy unconscious and in grave condition. Daddy is charged with four counts of assault and battery on a child with injuries, three counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injuries, assault to murder and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Another one of those mainstream media stories that leaves a lot unanswered. Why doesn't the mother have custody? Who made that decision? Who decided to give the grandmother custody? Who gave this father summer visitation?

http://www.telegram.com/article/20090623/ALERT01/906239962

Father accused of beating boy unconscious
By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — For eight weeks, 7-year-old Nathaniel Turner was allegedly mentally and physically abused by his father, according to authorities. The alleged assaults ended on Father’s Day with what police described as a brutal attack that left the boy in grave condition.

His father, Leslie G. Schuler, and his father’s live-in girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, both of 13 Arline St., will be in court this afternoon to face a series of assault charges.

It was just a month or so ago that Mr. Schuler received a court order allowing him to have summer custody of Nathaniel, who for most of his life lived with his grandmother in Alabama.

The boy is in grave condition, police and relatives of the boy’s birth mother said today while awaiting Mr. Schuler’s arraignment in Central District Court.Investigators from the Police Department Special Crimes Division were called to St. Vincent Hospital yesterday morning after Mr. Schuler and Ms. Hyman arrived there with Nathaniel. The boy was unconscious, police said.“Apparently the boy had suffered substantial injuries throughout his body,” police spokesman Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst said today. “He had recent bruising all over his chest, stomach, neck and face area. The child was unconscious and unresponsive.”

Investigators, including Detectives Donna M. Brissette and Laura J. LaLiberte, interviewed Mr. Schuler and Ms. Hyman and learned that a series of assaults had occurred over the eight weeks since the boy came to the city from Alabama. The most recent attack took place Sunday, according to authorities.Police arrested Mr. Schuler, 36, and Ms. Hyman, 28, after the two spoke with the detectives.

Mr. Schuler was charged with four counts of assault and battery on a child with injuries, three counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injuries, assault to murder and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Ms. Hyman was charged with two counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious bodily injuries. While it appears she did not assault the child, police said, she could have intervened and stopped the abuse.

Relatives of the boy at the courthouse this morning described Nathaniel as a handsome, free-spirited boy. He reportedly had been sleeping on the floor of a bedroom after Mr. Schuler removed all his toys and furniture as a disciplinary measure for disrespect, according to investigators. The boy was also allegedly whipped with a belt and beaten several times, the most serious attack coming Sunday, police said.

Lisa Carter, cousin of the birth mother, said Mr. Schuler could have dropped the boy off at any of the relatives’ homes in the city. “He could have dropped him (off) to us if he couldn’t handle him. He has to kill the kid,” she said. “He’s only had the kid not only a month, and now this happened.”

The birth mother did not want to speak to investigators, and family refused to give her name to reporters. Nathaniel’s family said Mr. Schuler always knew he was the father of the little boy, but about a month ago received a court order to have DNA testing done to prove it.

Mr. Schuler then received a court order to have summer custody of the child. Nathaniel had been living in Alabama with his grandmother, who has legal custody.

The birth mother was taking care of the child on weekends, but Mr. Schuler did not allow her to see her son recently, according to the family.