A mother in Pennsylvania allegedly punched and strangled her three-year-old daughter saying she did it because she wanted her to “know what it felt like to be choked”.

The mother has been named as Mary Hawkins, 22, of Harrisburg, which is the state capital of Pennsylvania, in the north-eastern United States, and she was taken into custody on Thursday, 24th February.

Hawkins has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal attempted homicide, one count of strangulation and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, according to court records.

After her arrest, she was arraigned by Judge Barbara W. Pianka at the Dauphin County Magisterial District court.

The Harrisburg Police Department (HPD) reportedly responded to a 911 from the child’s paternal grandmother call informing them of allegations that the child, who has not been named, had been assaulted.

The grandmother, not named, allegedly told the 911 dispatcher that she had entered the home and heard the suspect screaming: “Why can’t you just be happy?”

The grandmother reportedly said that she then saw the suspect sitting on the three-year-old and choking her.

Upon entering the bedroom, and still, according to court documents, the grandmother reportedly shouted: “What the f*ck are you doing?”

Upon noticing the presence of her partner’s mother, the suspect is said to have ceased what she was doing and asked the older woman to kill her.

Police went to the home at approximately 11:48 AM and they said in their report that Hawkins had repeatedly punched her young daughter, leaving her with serious bruises to her face and a burst blood vessel in her left eye.

The young girl was taken to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center where doctors said that she will make a full recovery.

The police also said that the suspect admitted under questioning that she had allegedly choked her daughter no less than five times that day.

The police asked her why she did it and she allegedly told them: “I wanted her to feel what I have felt”.

She added: “I know what it is like to be choked.”

The child’s father, who has not been named, has reportedly since broken up with his partner over the alleged assault.

Hawkins is currently being held at the Dauphin County jail and her next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, 15th March.