suspected abuse

[Chooch0566]

Ok people .. I need some serious advice .. this past weekend my daughter (8 years old) called me .. all happy and nice because it was her birthday the next day ..
during our conversation, my daughter asked how my wife (her stepmother) was.  Immediately after her name came out of my daughters mouth .. I heard "NO MOMMY .. NO MOMMY .. SLap slap slap .. and the phone went dead. 

I tried to call back, several times .. and didn't get an answer.  Being that I love about 70 miles from my daughter I decided to call the police and child services, about the welfare of my daughter.  They went to the house and apparently there was no answer and the police told me there was nothing else they could do.

I have shared custody every other week and picked my daughter up from school yesterday (it's my week).  She told me that her mother BEAT her ... and this particular incident was because her mother has a rule .. never to talk about me .. her father, or my wife .. in her house .. and as a punishment, she slapped and hit her in the head several times.

Now....I discipline my daughtr when she misbehaves .. and am not against a spanking ...
I describe a spanking as slaps on the behind .. NOT the FACE .. HEad .. pulling hair .. or anything else with beating up.

Ok .. sorry for the long windedness, but my daughter says that this type of discipline happens all the tie ..

My question is .... what is the difference of DISCIPLINE ... and ABUSE ?  And should I pursue this and report it as ABUSE .. I am only worried about my daughters well being ..

PLEASE HELP !!

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