- A Provo couple faces charges on the accusation that they abused their 9-year-old daughter.
- Darren Berriel and Rachelle Southwick are charged with aggravated child abuse.
- The couple inflicted physical harm and neglected basic needs of daughter, police said.
PROVO — A Provo couple accused of severely abusing their 9-year-old daughter over the past four years — including alleged punching, stomping and stabbing of the girl — are now facing criminal charges.
Darren Justin Berriel, 35, and Rachelle Southwick, 32, were each charged Monday in 4th District Court with multiple counts of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony: Berriel with 10 counts and Southwick with three. Berriel was also charged with child abuse, a class A misdemeanor.
According to charging documents, between June 1, 2021, and June 1, 2025, Berriel "stomped on (his daughter's) back," "punched (her) in the face with a closed fist," "jumped on (her) legs," picked her up "and dropped her head on the kitchen tile," "picked her up again and threw (her) across the room," and "hit (her) with a belt on her neck and cheek."
On one occasion, Berriel hit his daughter's legs with a pole, and on another "stabbed (her) in the shoulder with a screwdriver, leaving a scar. ... Berriel would hit (her) on the head often, leaving a scar and an area where her hair no longer grows," the charges state.
Berriel is also accused of using pliers to pull out one of her teeth, chipping a second tooth in the process, according to the charges.
Prosecutors say Southwick "would bite (the girl's) back as a form of 'discipline,' leaving bumps on (her) back as a result," charging documents state.
Both parents are accused of locking the girl in her bedroom "which had no furniture, and did not allow her to go to the bathroom and left her hungry and thirsty for a week before letting her out," and made her "sleep in the dog kennel, eat dog food and drink from the dog's water dish," according to the charges.
Police say the couple's three children had already been removed from the home and were interviewed by detectives in June by the time their parents were arrested last week.
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.
