A judge ruled there wasn't enough evidence to charge a Blue River, Wis., woman with intentional child abuse, but she may face charges of reckless abuse.
Elizabeth M. Roen, 19, was charged with two counts of physical abuse of a child, including intentionally causing great bodily harm.
At a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Lancaster, Wis., Judge George Curry ruled that the evidence supported a charge of reckless child abuse, but not intentional.
On April 26 in Livingston, Roen's daughter suffered severe burns to her feet and other minor injuries, but she was not taken to the hospital until the following day, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Department. The child was left alone in a bathtub with scalding water for a few minutes while Roen changed her daughter's bed sheets, according to a criminal complaint.
The toddler also had a black eye and a cut below her eye, and Roen told police that her daughter must have slid and hit the side of the tub. A doctor told police that the child's injuries appeared consistent with abuse, the complaint alleged.
Curry said the child's injuries could be accidental as easily as they could be intentional.
Roen is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 10.
