Mother
admits ill treating baby
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/5148054.stm
bbc
- 4th July 2006
A woman
who fractured an arm, a leg and ribs of her month-old baby girl
has walked free from court.
The mother, who was suffering from post-natal depression, had an
18-month prison sentence suspended for three years at Antrim Crown
Court.
The judge
told the 23-year-old, who cannot be named, he was taking the "exceptional"
action due to her "vulnerable position" and diagnosis.
She admitted
inflicting grievous bodily harm and ill treatment of the child.
The court
heard that the girl was just one month old in April last year when
doctors found her swollen right arm and left leg were both fractured.
A prosecuting
lawyer said further fractures to three of the child's ribs were
uncovered following subsequent hospital visits.
He said
the baby was born on 19 March last year and that initially, everything
appeared fine during visits by a local health visitor.
However,
by 19 April, the health visitor began to voice concerns about the
lack of weight gain and a week later, noticed two small bruise-like
spots on her face.
'Squeezed'
The prosecution
lawyer said the health visitor also noticed "tension"
between the woman and her partner, adding that the mother herself
"appeared anxious".
He added
that when asked about the marks, her partner indicated that he had
noticed them too, but that they must have been inflicted by the
baby on herself.
He said
the child was taken to the local GP who was concerned and referred
the case to the Royal Victoria Hospital where the initial fractures
to the baby's arm and leg were uncovered after x-ray.
He added
that, when questioned, the woman said that the injuries could have
been caused by her lifting the baby out of her cot, once by the
leg and once by the arm.
She also
admitted and demonstrated that "on occasions" she would
hold the child very tight to her, squeezing her.
"There
was a difficulty with the child crying in the cot and in a real
loss of control; she was picked up very roughly by the arm and subsequently
by the leg, and then in frustration she was squeezed into the mother,"
he said.
A defence
lawyer described the defendant as "a young lady who presents
as a very fragile and emotional individual".
He added
there had been a history of post-natal depression and that the mother
had also been assessed as having learning difficulties, which "could
have affected her thinking".
He also
revealed that the child had been taken into care.
Judge David
Smyth said he did not "want to punish vulnerable mothers, but
one has to protect vulnerable children".
"You
caused these injuries but you did not take her to get adequate treatment
either, resulting in her ill treatment," he said.
