Packers loss blamed in child abuse case

GRAND CHUTE - A Grand Chute woman is accused of choking her 11-year-old daughter after becoming angry because the Green Bay Packers were losing.

The 36-year-old woman was charged Monday in Outagamie County with felony child abuse.

About five hours after the Packers first loss of the season, the Grand Chute Police were called to the Extended Stay Hotel for a woman who was drunk and out of control.

“She was upset because the Packers had lost,” said Lt. Jerome Martin with the Grand Chute Police Department.

According to a criminal complaint, the woman's 11-year-old daughter told police her mother was drinking beer and vodka during the game. She said while the Packers were losing, her mother grabbed her hair and choked her. The girl told authorities her mother also choked her after the game, and asked her if she wanted to die. The girl told police she couldn't breathe or speak.

FOX 11 is not identifying the woman to protect the girl's identity.

“The woman was intoxicated definitely,” said Martin. “Alcohol was a major contributing factor.”

The criminal complaint also states the woman tried punching her husband and broke a lamp.

The Packers loss may have been a factor in the Grand Chute situation, but officials say it is a myth that domestic violence cases increase after a Packers' loss.

“That's usually an excuse for a problem that already exists in a family,” said Beth Schnorr, the executive director at Harbor House, which helps victims of domestic violence.

Grand Chute Police officers also say there is no evidence to prove Packers outcomes impact the rate of domestic violence.

“I think the alcohol consumption was probably the major contributing factor here,” said Martin. “It just happened to be uniquely tied to the fact that the Packers had lost and it seemed to increase her anger.”

The Grand Chute woman is charged with felony child abuse. If convicted, she could be in prison for up to 12 years and six months.

The woman remained in jail Tuesday. Officials say the woman's children are staying with their father.