In re S.K.

This is an appeal by a mother and her eight-year-old child from a finding by the trial judge that the mother had abused and neglected her child under D.C.Code § 16-2301(9)(A) (1981). The judge based his finding of neglect on the fact that the mother had beaten the child with a belt notwithstanding her knowledge of the child’s severe psychological problems when the child had denied setting fire to her bed. Appellants contend that the key findings of fact are unsupported by the record, and that the judge failed to consider the mother’s mitigating actions and shifted the burden of proof by…