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Mother Sentenced To Jail For Beating And Strangling Her Daughter For Incorrectly Reciting Bible Verses

Rhonda Shoffner was binge drinking for three days before the attack.

A Pennsylvania mother was sentenced to 2 ½ to 5 years in state prison for beating, strangling, and kicking out her young daughter for incorrectly reciting Bible verses.

Rhonda Shoffner, 41, was sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of a child and terroristic threats. After Shoffner is released from prison, she will serve an additional five years on probation, reported Fox 43.

Shoffner was arrested in March after her daughter, who is under the age of 13, told police her mom attacked her when she awoke from a nap.

According to the girl, whose identity remains protected, Shoffner had been drunk for three days straight. On the day of the attack, the victim said Shoffner asked her to call multiple family members, and when they didn’t answer, the girl was instructed to get on her knees in the bathroom, reported Penn Live.

The girl begged for her mother not to beat her and said she didn’t want to get on her knees. Shoffner still made the girl kneel on the ground and began reciting Bible verses. Shoffner prompted the victim to recite the verses word-for-word; however, when the girl messed up, she would get beaten.

Each time the girl incorrectly recited a verse, Shoffner slammed her head into the wall, police said. Shoffner also told the girl to lie on her back and she started to strangle her.

The girl tried to fight Shoffner off, but the mother bit into the girl’s arm, leaving a mark. Eventually, Shoffner told the victim, “Just leave and never come back.”

The child then ran away from the home and called her father, who took her to the police.

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