Teen whose parents are accused of keeping her in bedroom says door wasn't locked

Tuesday, January 30th 2007, 9:11 pm

By: News On 6

OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) _ A 13-year-old girl testified Tuesday that her parents ordered her to stay in her sometimes cold, sparsely furnished bedroom for months as punishment for bad behavior, but said they never locked the door.

The girl said that she had to be good for two days in a row for the punishment _ for behavior she said included hitting, kicking, lying and ``mean comments'' _ to end, but that the most she could manage was one day.

After the girl testified, her father and stepmother were ordered to stand trial on one count each of causing mental harm to a child. County Circuit Court Commissioner Daniel Bissett said the couple showed ``substantial disregard'' for the teen's mental well-being.

Clint and Lynn Engstrom each face up to 12 1/2 years in prison if convicted. Their attorneys said they plan to plead not guilty Monday.

``There has never been a complaint on their other three children,'' said Joe Hildebrand, who represents Lynn Engstrom. ``They tried everything to their wit's end to help this kid out.''

Police have said the couple locked the girl in an upstairs bedroom for up to 22 hours a day for nearly two years. But the girl said Tuesday that the door to her room was never locked.

``I wasn't locked. I was put in my room,'' said the teen.

Police Detective James Busha testified that he found the girl's room furnished with only a urine-soaked mattress, blanket, pillow and empty dresser, and that the rooms of the other children were ``overflowing'' with toys and clothes.

A doctor who testified that he treated the girl for about a year for emotional disorders described her as ``very difficult to parent.''

The Engstroms took their daughter to a hospital Jan. 5 and told workers she was hearing voices. They were charged 11 days later.