The child was also deprived of food and clothing
Karen Villec from Stratford, New Jersey opened her front door on March 1st, to find her 13-year-old neighbour begging for help. She was horrified to discover that the girl had a shock-collar hanging from her neck, as she explained: "She was saying 'Help me, help me! They are shocking me!'"
Villec was understandably surprised and confused at first: "I'm seeing this dog collar and she's putting it in my hand, and I said 'Is your dog lost?' She says 'No, no they are shocking me.' Shows me the marks on her neck."
Villec said the dog collar was buzzing in her hands after the teen handed it to her, as she recalls: "I couldn't fathom who puts it on their dog, let alone a child!"
Villec immediately called police and the 13-year-old was brought to hospital to be examined. At the hospital, the victim told police that this sadly wasn’t the first time that she’d been forced to wear the shock collar. In fact, the police complaint states that 20-year-old Rachel Mennig “put the collar around her neck and shocked her multiple times and has done this in the past.”
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office declined to disclose the exact relationship between Rachel Mennig and the 13-year-old.
The police also spoke with 42-year-old Kelly Mennig, who also lives in the home. She denied everything, but forensic interviews have established that both Rachel Mennig, Kelly Mennig, and 22-year-old Rebecca Mennig have been using the shock collar “as a form of punishment” on the 13-year-old, since she was 9 years old.
The child was also deprived of food and clothing amenities by the three women, according to the police affidavit.
She has since been taken out of the home and placed in the care of a foster family.
All three women, Rachel Mennig, Kelly Mennig, and Rebecca Mennig, were taken into custody and face charges of aggravated assault, child abuse, and neglect. According to the
Daily Beast, they are currently being held at the Camden County jail.
