A Pretoria couple has been handed an effective 14-year prison sentence for child abuse. The couple had beaten their six-month-old daughter, leaving her with 31 broken bones in her tiny body between March and July 2020.
Baby N was first admitted to a Pretoria hospital in April 2020 with injuries consistent with child abuse. Her doctors and a private social worker then laid a complaint with the police and the Department of Social Development.
However, the police closed the case due to a lack of evidence, and Baby N was returned to the care of her parents.
Barely three months later, Baby N was admitted again with pneumonia, shock, and dehydration. Further tests indicated that her collarbone had fractured two to three weeks before admission. An MRI scan showed injuries that were most probably caused by the baby being violently shaken.
The doctors who examined her all agreed that it was likely the result of the baby being repeatedly abused. The doctors then approached AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit for assistance in opening a criminal case. Following further pressure from the Unit, the police arrested the couple, and the prosecution ensued.
The parents denied the allegations but were found guilty of assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm and child neglect. The criminal complaint was filed on 24 July 2020. The Pretoria High Court Judge Hennie de Vos sentenced the couple to 14 years in prison on 24 February 2023.
Barry Bateman, the spokesperson for AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, praised the doctors and social workers who refused to allow the child to suffer. He emphasized the need for medical professionals and caregivers who encounter such instances to take a stand, as is required of them by law.
»Pretoria Parents sentenced to 14years in jail for breaking 31 bones in baby’s body«
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