ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) – A July trial has been scheduled for a northwest Iowa man and wife who’ve been accused in the beatings of an 11-year-old. Court records show Matthew Spaans filed a written plea of not guilty Monday in Sioux County District Court to seven counts of child endangerment and seven of assault. His wife, 33-year-old Nina Spaans, already had pleaded not guilty to six counts of child endangerment and two of assault. Their trial is set to begin July 18. They live in Hawarden.

Records say that at least three times since September, Matthew Spaans beat his stepson with his hands, a 56-inch sword and another item, severely bruising the boy. The documents say the boy was told to make up stories about his bruises or his next beating would be worse.