Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Westerly woman has been found guilty by a Washington County Superior Court jury of abusing two children in April 2021.
On May 10, 2024, following the conclusion of a three-day trial before Superior Court Justice Melanie Wilk Thunberg, a jury found Taurie Richardson (age 27) guilty of two counts of second-degree child abuse.
The defendant was released on personal recognizance pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 28, 2024.
“Children should never have to experience physical or emotional abuse at the hands of an adult,” said Attorney General Neronha. “The trauma caused by child abuse can take years to recover from, and some trauma never fully heals. I am grateful that this jury held the defendant accountable for her crimes and I thank the Westerly Police for their excellent work on this case.”
During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant physically assaulted two children.
On April 20, 2021, the defendant had arrived at a residence on Pond Street in Westerly in an intoxicated state and began physically assaulting two children that were known to her. She threw one child across a room and punched another child approximately 10 times before also throwing that child across a room.
“Child abuse is a terrible crime that has no place in our communities, and we must hold accountable those who commit such crimes,” said Westerly Police Chief Paul J. Gingerella. “I applaud the men and women of the Westerly Police Department and the Attorney General’s office for bringing this defendant to justice.”
Assistant Attorney General Mark Trovato of the Office of the Attorney General led the prosecution of the case.
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