Dwight Howard was recently investigated for child abuse after Royce Reed, the mother of one of Howard’s children, accused him of whipping their 6-year-old son Braylon with a belt. TMZ reported on Sunday that Howard has been cleared by the Florida Dept. of Children and Families, but it sounds like whether he did something wrong or not is open to interpretation.
Howard was cleared after investigators determined that there were “no substantiated findings of physical injuries” to the young boy. However, TMZ noted in a follow-up report that a doctor who examined Braylon found that the boy was hit with a belt buckle and struck with “excessive force.”
TMZ Sports has obtained documents from the Dept. of Children and Families (DCF), summarizing the findings of the doctor who examined Braylon. It says, “Dr. Kesler noted Braylon to have a linear bruise and patterned abrasions consistent with the history given by Braylon of being struck with a belt numerous times by his father.”
The report goes on to say the injuries were “consistent with Braylon being struck with the buckle end of the belt … with excessive force, resulting in soft tissue injuries such as bruising and abrasions.”
And the report indicates Dr. Kesler found the injuries lasted longer than 24 hours and were “consistent with a medical diagnosis of physical abuse.”
The doctor also reportedly recommended that Howard participate in classes that will educate him on how to discipline his son without the use of corporal punishment. Given the doctor’s alleged findings, it seems strange that Howard was cleared so quickly.
Last week, Howard filed for custody of Braylon and claimed in legal documents that Reed is an unfit mother who gives the child drugs to serve as a “chemical babysitter.” Howard’s representative accused Reed of making abuse allegations in an attempt to win the custody battle.
“It’s no coincidence that these false allegations were ‘leaked’ on the heels of Dwight filing for major custody of his son,” the rep told TMZ. “It is troubling to see a mother use her son as a pawn against his father.”
