An Atlantic City woman is charged with sexually assaulting her young daughter with hot sauce.
Aminata Toure, 41, was released with conditions last week, following a detention hearing on the charges, including second-degree sexual contact.
Toure is accused of beating her 6-year-old daughter and then later putting Pepe's hot sauce on the girl's genitals last year.
The alleged abuse came to light in February 2020, after the girl's teacher noticed the girl acting out and later saw her appear to be withdrawn, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Toure and her daughter met with the unnamed teacher, who noted that Toure seemed very upset, the affidavit states.
She said something in Mandingo to the girl, who "froze and stopped crying."
Toure made several statements, including, "I don't want to go to jail," the teacher told investigators.
The next day, the girl told the teacher that her mother "beat her up in the car by punching her in the nose and her right thigh."
The girl said her mother was "very mad and yelled at her all night."
At one point, the girl said her mother made her undress and then took the sauce from the freezer and assaulted her with it.
An examination revealed lesions from the abuse, the affidavit states.
"The defendant's actions against her daughter were particularly depraved and showed more than a lack of judgement," Assistant Prosecutor Erika Halayko told the judge. "Over a month later, this child still had damage, as indicate in the medical reports."
The public safety assessment, which helps determine detention under bail reform, recommended Toure not be released.
But Superior Court Judge Sara Beth Johnson granted release with the most strict conditions. Toure is not allowed to have contact with her daughter or go to the girl's school.
Halayko acknowledged that the girl wants to be with her mother, despite the allegations.
But, added, "it's the state's job to consider the safety of the child."
