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CNN Sunday Morning

Toogood Out on Bail

Aired September 22, 2002 - 07:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: A mother in Indiana is out on bail, charged with a felony after a surveillance camera caught the apparent beating of her 4-year-old daughter. Madelyne Gorman Toogood turned herself into authorities yesterday, and now she's criticizing the way authorities are treating her daughter.
Here's CNN's Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As she walked out of the St. Joseph County jail after paying the $5,000 bond, Madelyne Toogood was angry, scared and silent. It was our first look at this woman since the world was introduced to her via a horrifying videotape. Toogood was the woman who repeatedly beat her 4-year-old daughter, Martha, after a trip to a department store in Mishawaka, Indiana. On Saturday night, five hours after she surrendered, she was still angry and scared, but no longer silent.

MADELYNE GORMAN TOOGOOD, ACCUSED OF BEATING CHILD: I'm not a monster. I have three other -- I have three children, and nothing's ever happened, ever before, to any of my children.

TUCHMAN: But for now little Martha will not be permitted to stay with her mother. Indiana's Department of Child Protection Services has received permission from a court to have the child stay temporarily with another family. Her two other children will remain with her husband.

TOOGOOD: I didn't want to her to go home with strangers. She's scared enough.

TUCHMAN: But the state felt it was necessary, considering the circumstances. Little Martha was brought to the hospital for an examination. So far her condition looks good.

CHRIS TOTH, PROSECUTOR: Martha appears to be a sweet little girl. There were no visible signs of any injuries. She was brought into the police station. Obviously, she is a 4-year-old girl. She's going to be a little concerned about everything going on around her. She seems to be happy. We gave her a Happy Meal and she seemed to be enjoying that.

TUCHMAN: When the mother surrendered earlier in the day, she was whisked into a police station garage in a van with her attorney. In another van, her husband and daughter Martha. One hour of interrogation followed, and then her processing and felony battery charges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were you angry about, though, that day? What were you ...

TOOGOOD: I was upset, nothing in particular. It was my mistake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, maybe it would help -- maybe it would help if you described it because it was -- it looked like you were more than upset.

TOOGOOD: I don't want to describe it. It was just -- it -- my lawyer advised me not to go into all of that right now.

TUCHMAN: But we later asked her lawyer.

STEVE ROSEN, GORMAN TOOGOOD'S ATTORNEY: I think she was angered by the daughter and the way she was behaving in the clothes department store, ripping up the toys, playing with the toys, hiding, being found, hiding, being found. And the mother got fed up, and she acted -- she acted and it was a poor, poor choice of discipline.

TUCHMAN: Martha was punched, slapped and had her hair pulled, and the attorney says he won't consult a judge or jury by trying to deny that.

TOOGOOD: Nobody has a right to strike their child. I shouldn't have did it. I'm paying for it, and my entire family is paying for it over my mistake. Everybody is paying for it, and my baby is somewhere with people she don't know, thinking right now, holding onto my husband's hat because my husband had to leave it because he wouldn't let her leave the room. She wouldn't let him leave the room unless he left his baseball hat (UNINTELLIGIBLE) come back for it. She thinks right now he's on his way back to get that baseball hat and her. I -- nobody -- why is my child paying -- it's my fault, so she shouldn't pay for it. It was my mistake. She shouldn't pay for it.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Madelyne Toogood will be arraigned on Monday and she faces the possibility of up to three years in prison.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Mishawaka, Indiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 22, 2002 - 07:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: A mother in Indiana is out on bail, charged with a felony after a surveillance camera caught the apparent beating of her 4-year-old daughter. Madelyne Gorman Toogood turned herself into authorities yesterday, and now she's criticizing the way authorities are treating her daughter.
Here's CNN's Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As she walked out of the St. Joseph County jail after paying the $5,000 bond, Madelyne Toogood was angry, scared and silent. It was our first look at this woman since the world was introduced to her via a horrifying videotape. Toogood was the woman who repeatedly beat her 4-year-old daughter, Martha, after a trip to a department store in Mishawaka, Indiana. On Saturday night, five hours after she surrendered, she was still angry and scared, but no longer silent.

MADELYNE GORMAN TOOGOOD, ACCUSED OF BEATING CHILD: I'm not a monster. I have three other -- I have three children, and nothing's ever happened, ever before, to any of my children.

TUCHMAN: But for now little Martha will not be permitted to stay with her mother. Indiana's Department of Child Protection Services has received permission from a court to have the child stay temporarily with another family. Her two other children will remain with her husband.

TOOGOOD: I didn't want to her to go home with strangers. She's scared enough.

TUCHMAN: But the state felt it was necessary, considering the circumstances. Little Martha was brought to the hospital for an examination. So far her condition looks good.

CHRIS TOTH, PROSECUTOR: Martha appears to be a sweet little girl. There were no visible signs of any injuries. She was brought into the police station. Obviously, she is a 4-year-old girl. She's going to be a little concerned about everything going on around her. She seems to be happy. We gave her a Happy Meal and she seemed to be enjoying that.

TUCHMAN: When the mother surrendered earlier in the day, she was whisked into a police station garage in a van with her attorney. In another van, her husband and daughter Martha. One hour of interrogation followed, and then her processing and felony battery charges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were you angry about, though, that day? What were you ...

TOOGOOD: I was upset, nothing in particular. It was my mistake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, maybe it would help -- maybe it would help if you described it because it was -- it looked like you were more than upset.

TOOGOOD: I don't want to describe it. It was just -- it -- my lawyer advised me not to go into all of that right now.

TUCHMAN: But we later asked her lawyer.

STEVE ROSEN, GORMAN TOOGOOD'S ATTORNEY: I think she was angered by the daughter and the way she was behaving in the clothes department store, ripping up the toys, playing with the toys, hiding, being found, hiding, being found. And the mother got fed up, and she acted -- she acted and it was a poor, poor choice of discipline.

TUCHMAN: Martha was punched, slapped and had her hair pulled, and the attorney says he won't consult a judge or jury by trying to deny that.

TOOGOOD: Nobody has a right to strike their child. I shouldn't have did it. I'm paying for it, and my entire family is paying for it over my mistake. Everybody is paying for it, and my baby is somewhere with people she don't know, thinking right now, holding onto my husband's hat because my husband had to leave it because he wouldn't let her leave the room. She wouldn't let him leave the room unless he left his baseball hat (UNINTELLIGIBLE) come back for it. She thinks right now he's on his way back to get that baseball hat and her. I -- nobody -- why is my child paying -- it's my fault, so she shouldn't pay for it. It was my mistake. She shouldn't pay for it.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Madelyne Toogood will be arraigned on Monday and she faces the possibility of up to three years in prison.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Mishawaka, Indiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com