Woman gets 14 years for child abuse

KENT — A woman who punished her foster daughter by plunging hypodermic needles into the girl's eyes and beating her with various objects was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison. Prosecutors asked for and received a high-end sentence for Chornice Kabbelliyaa, who pleaded guilty in September to one count of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault.

Prosecutors said Child Protective Services reports that the girl, who is now 16, has been moved to another family and is doing well.

Kabbelliyaa's defense attorneys asked Superior Court Judge James Cayce to deliver an exceptionally low sentence because they said their client was insane at the time of the abuse and didn't realize she had mental illness until she was jailed.

"She's much better now and is totally astounded at what happened," said defense attorney Marvin McCoy.

But Cayce said a report from Western State Hospital, where Kabbelliyaa was evaluated, indicated she knew what she was doing when she punished the child and then tried to hide her from authorities who came to her home to investigate.

"She's manipulative and cruel," said Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Corinn Bohn. "Her level of torture is incomprehensible."

Kabbelliyaa, who also goes by the last name of Lewis, abused and tortured the girl she had cared for since the girl, who is her cousin, was 5. Police and prosecutors said Kabbelliyaa routinely punished the girl by burning her tongue with a heated fork, beating her feet with dumbbells and sticking a needle into the girl's eye, telling her she would be blinded if she moved.

The girl suffered permanent vision loss.

According to charging documents filed in King County Superior Court, Kabbelliyaa had been the girl's licensed foster mother since the girl was 5. She was arrested last year after Child Protective Services was called by someone acquainted with the family who reported seeing Kabbelliyaa punch the girl, hit her with an umbrella and lock her in an outside storage unit for hours.

The girl was 14 when police arrested Kabbelliyaa.

Physicians examining the foster girl found serious damage to the girl's right eye, scarring, bruising and a severely burned tongue.

Charging documents also state that Kabbelliyaa would turn on the stove's burner until it was red hot before pressing the girl's palm onto the burner.

The foster girl's brother and another child that had been placed with Kabbelliyaa told investigators that they too were mistreated before being placed in other homes.

Kabbelliyaa's biological children did not show signs of abuse, investigators said.

CPS officials admitted after the arrest that the girl's case had been mismanaged and that caseworkers overlooked some red flags because they were pleased she had been placed in a relative's home.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com