Woman trades her foster daughter for a pet monkey after years of abuse

A woman was accused of trading her foster daughter for a pet monkey after years of physically, emotionally, and mentally abusing her in the United States. 

According to court documents, the Department of Social Services was contacted in November 2024 by an anonymous source who reported that a child was being abused by her foster mother in Troy, Missouri.

Police made contact with the victim in December 2024, at which point she reportedly detailed three years worth of abuse at the hands of 70-year-old Brenda Deutsch. 

The victim claimed Deutsch struck her with a paddle, smacked her, and physically abused other family members.

Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood said Deutsch inflicted “emotional abuse, physical abuse, and also a level of neglect” against the child.

“We had some information children were hoarding food, which is always something you look for,” Wood said.

“Emotional abuse such as throwing their clothes away. Taking them to have them evaluated for psychological issues, whether they have it or not, as a level of control. Sending children to residential treatment facilities as a form of punishment.”

In February 2025, the victim’s school reported excessive absences, prompting an investigation from the school resource officer. 

The investigation determined that the child was in Texas instead of Missouri, where she had lived with her foster mother.

Authorities were able to get into contact with the person in Texas who was taking care of the victim and determined they were friends with Deutsch, police reported. 

One witness allegedly told authorities that Deutsch and the Texan friend both own exotic animals, and that Deutsch traded the foster child for a monkey.

Police said that the person the child was staying with in Texas left the house for days at a time to take care of their animals, including a 10 day period during which the person went to New Mexico. 

The child was reportedly sent to another person’s house during these trips.

“She was at a secondary home which was the adult children of witness one,” Wood reported. 

“Both of those people are disabled and not able to take care of the child. From what we can tell the child was taking care of them.”

Deutsch was charged with two counts of abuse or neglect of a child and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.