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MURRAY — A Murray woman has been charged with abusing her three young children, including causing a serious head injury to her stepdaughter.
Iris Lynn Mason, 28, was charged June 22 with five counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. She is being held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail. A court hearing to determine whether she should be allowed to post bail is scheduled for Friday.
The investigation began June 10 when a 5-year-old girl was taken to Primary Children's Hospital with a traumatic brain injury. Due to the pressure and swelling on her brain, "a large portion of her skull" was removed by surgeons, according to charging documents.
During surgery, doctors discovered dried blood which may have been caused by a previously unreported head injury, the charges state.
"The victim suffered a skull fracture which split three ways," according to the charges. "The victim's current prognosis is improving, but she has a long way to recovery and make suffer long-term effects."
When questioned, Mason said the girl "is believed to be autistic and does not communicate verbally." She later admitted to being "overwhelmed and frustrated with life" and slamming the child's head on the floor twice, the charges allege.
"I was upset that she doesn't comprehend what I am saying to her. I was upset and I feel like I blacked out," she told investigators, according to court documents, while adding that after she "realized I messed up."
Two other children who live in the home, both under the age of 9, reported that they had been "choked" by Mason, according to police.
"The other children report incidents of abuse from choking to kicking, and other patterns of abuse and neglect. Instead of seeking out resources for help, the defendant resorted to physical violence and neglect of all the children," investigators wrote in their charges.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
