Missouri Mom Accused of Locking Girl in Closet Stands Trial

A Missouri woman accused of locking her emaciated 10-year-old daughter inside a closet is standing trial this week.

Jury selection began Monday for the woman who is charged with first-degree assault, child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

The Associated Press is not naming the mother to protect the girl's identity.

The girl weighed just 32 pounds when she was found locked inside a filthy closet in the family's Kansas City apartment in June 2012.

She told police that her mom often locked her in the closet for days at a time. She also said she wasn't allowed to go outside and hadn't attended school in five years.