Chapter 8 - Natalie’s first defense
Natalie hired attorney Marissa Cole.
Experienced.
Measured.
Her first statement did not deny physical contact.
That was smart because witnesses existed.
Natalie said:
Grace had become hysterical after being asked to return Owen’s crown.
She attempted to guide Grace to the bathroom for privacy.
Grace kicked and twisted.
Natalie restrained her forearms to prevent her from falling.
Grace accidentally struck the side of her face against Natalie’s hand or the doorframe.
No deliberate slap.
The redness on the arms?
Restraint necessary to control a tantrum.
The bathroom?
A place to calm down.
The comment about stealing the spotlight?
Frustration, not motive.
Then Owen’s interview complicated everything.
He described an open-hand smack.
He said Grace was not kicking before being grabbed.
He said his mother told Grace:
“You always have to be the special one.”
Grace’s own interview supported parts.
Not all exact phrases.
She said:
“Aunt Natalie squeezed my arms.”
Then:
“She smacked my face.”
Why?
“Because crown.”
Did she try to hit Natalie?
“No.”
Did she kick?
“I wiggled.”
That distinction mattered.
May you like
Four-year-olds wiggle when adults grab them.
That is not automatically dangerous aggression.
