Nahant abuse details emerge

NAHANT – A Nahant man who is accused of repeatedly kicking his 14-year-old daughter was released on bail Tuesday following his arraignment at Lynn District Court.Kirk Palmer, 43, of 77 Spring Road, turned himself into police Saturday to face assault-and-battery charges.On Friday afternoon, police and the Department of Social Services were called to North Shore Children’s Hospital, where Palmer’s daughter was being examined after the alleged abuse was reported. Ralph Watson, the principal of the Swampscott Middle School, where the girl is a student, was also present.The girl reported her dad struck her at least four times on the leg with a belt and kicked her once in the abdomen during an argument Nov. 3 about overdue library books, police said.While the girl was at the hospital, her mother, Michelle McLeod-Anna of Boston, arrived and spoke with officials. McLeod-Anna declined to take custody of her daughter after DSS informed her that the girl could not stay with Palmer for the time being.”I’ve had it! I’m done with her!” McLeod-Anna said, according to a police report. “You take her! I’ve done all I can.”Court records show the girl lived with McLeod-Anna in Boston until she was thrown out and forced to move in with Palmer sometime last year.According to a police report, the girl was placed into DSS custody after being released from the hospital on Friday.Students at Swampscott Middle School noticed bruising on the girl’s legs before gym class last Wednesday, police said.Female students noticed the injuries while the girl was changing clothes in the locker room, according to police. They told the girl she needed to report the abuse and if she didn’t by Friday they would tell the principal.After they realized the abuse wasn’t reported on Friday, that was exactly what they did.According to a DSS official, the victim was reluctant to report the bruises. As officials waited to speak with the victim, she tried to run out of the building, police said.When they finally got her into an interview room, she was trying to catch her breath and was still crying, according to a police report.The victim reported Palmer hit her so hard that she couldn’t sleep on her side.Some of her injuries included a 3-by-3-inch bruise over her left thigh and a 6-by-7-inch bruise on her upper thigh and buttocks area.All of the bruises were photographed.Palmer admitted hitting his daughter with a belt, according to police.Palmer also reportedly told a DSS worker that when he realized he hit his daughter very hard, he brought her into a bathtub filled with water and used ointment on her legs.Palmer was formally charged with two counts of assault-and-battery with a dangerous weapon (belt and shod foot), assault and battery on a child resulting in injury and domestic assault and battery.He was released from jail on $5,000 cash bail, ordered by Judge Ellen Flatley, following his arraignment.Palmer must stay away from his daughter and have no contact with her. He’s due back in court Dec. 7 for a pre-trial hearing.