Orange City, Iowa — A Hawarden mother who is facing felony charges of child endangerment after her 11-year-old told a teacher he was being abused — is requesting contact with one of her children.
According to court records, authorities believe that on at least three separate occasions from September of last year until February of this year, 35-year-old Matthew Spaans abused his 11-year-old stepson, causing injuries. Authorities also believe the child’s mother, 33-year-old Nina Spaans told the boy to make up stories about how the injuries were received.
Matthew Spaans is charged with three counts of Serious Assault Causing Bodily Injury, a serious misdemeanor; and both Matthew and Nina Spaans are charged with three counts each of Child Endangerment Causing Bodily Injury, a class D felony.
Both have entered “not guilty” pleas.
The judge had initially ordered the defendants to have no contact with their children, but according to Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle, Mrs. Spaans is requesting that order be withdrawn, at least infosar as it applies to her youngest child. Kunstle says he resisted that motion, and it will be the main topic of discussion at a continued pretrial conference, set for June 12th.
According to the Sioux County Clerk of Court’s Office, Matthew Spaans’ attorney has requested that his pretrial conference also be pushed back to June 12th, while plea negotiations continue.
A jury trial is scheduled for Tuesday, July 18th.
