A Georgia woman, Nora Rodgers, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for subjecting her three stepchildren to physical, mental, and emotional abuse. The sentence comes after Rodgers pleaded guilty to nine counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree. The Newton County District Attorney’s Office announced the plea in a press release.
Law enforcement responded to Rodgers’ home in October 2020 after a concerned relative reported her. Upon arrival, officers discovered the children, aged nine, eight, and six, with visible signs of physical abuse, including bruising and swelling. The nine-year-old boy had a black eye and severe bruising on his legs, while the eight-year-old girl had bruises covering her body, as well as scrapes and marks from physical punishments. The six-year-old girl suffered the most significant injuries, including scrapes, swelling, bruising all over her body, and a broken elbow. She also had severe internal injuries that required treatment by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s trauma team and could have been life-threatening.
It was revealed that Rodgers subjected the children to extreme bootcamp-style exercises, such as running laps, doing squats with large logs, and jumping jacks, to the point of exhaustion and injury. These exercises would often be conducted in the middle of the night and in sweltering summer heat. Failure to meet Rodgers’ standards would result in beatings. The Department of Family and Children Services had previously warned Rodgers against using exercise or corporal punishment, but she disregarded their advice.
The children were also found to be malnourished, as Rodgers would underfeed them and use food deprivation as a form of punishment. She imposed time limits for their meals and even blended their solid foods into a drink to make them eat faster. Notably, Rodgers’ three biological children, who also lived in the same home, were not subjected to the same restrictions or physical exercises as her stepchildren.
As a result of law enforcement’s intervention, all six children, including Rodgers’ biological children, were removed from the home and placed in foster care. During the sentencing hearing, impact statements were delivered by the child victims, foster parents, a social worker, and the children’s grandmother, highlighting the profound effects of Rodgers’ abuse on the children.
District Attorney Randy McGinley praised the prosecution team’s efforts, stating that the result ensures that the victims will be well into adulthood before Rodgers is released from prison. McGinley also commended the foster parents and the children’s family for their support throughout the process.
Rodgers’ guilty plea and the subsequent sentence spared the children from having to testify extensively about the abuse they endured. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable children from such heinous acts.
