US girl locked in bathroom for two months

A malnourished Arizona girl was locked in a bathroom without running water for two months, beaten with metal rods, and forced to exercise until exhaustion because her father said she had stolen food and cheated on a home-school test, police said today.

Scott and Andrea Bass, the 14-year-old girl's father and stepmother, were arrested on Friday after police investigated claims of child abuse, kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.

Andrea, Bass, 31, was released from custody yesterday after posting a $US36,000 bond. Scott Bass, 33, remained jailed on a $US45,000 bond. Neither of them could be reached for comment.

The girl escaped from the bathroom through the attic on February 5 and contacted police.

A medical evaluation showed the girl was in the 25th per centile for weight and the 50th percentile for height among girls her age.

The girl said her father forced her to exercise until she was exhausted and beat her with belts and metal rods or pulled her up by her hair if she stopped the exercises.

The girl, who was evaluated and released from a hospital, was in the custody of Child Protective Services along with four other children living in the home, who police said showed no signs of abuse.

Police Officer Luis Samudio said the girl and her 12-year-old brother were from Scott Bass' previous marriage, and that three girls ages 3, 4 and 11 were Scott and Andrea Bass' children.

-AP