A mother took her 47-day-old child to the Hospital Materno Infantil in Málaga with deep, second-degree burns covering 42% of her body surface
A police investigation followed, ending in a court case and guilty verdict for the father of causing grevious bodily harm.
According to the ruling of the Provincial Court of Malaga, the child’s father immersed the baby in very hot water: for an hour and a half at 45ºC or 17 seconds at 55ºC judging by the degree of injuries. However, this was not the only episode of abuse suffered by both the child and her sister.
The baby also suffered from marked malnutrition and mild to moderate dehydration during her first days of life.
As a result of this brutal treatment, the child required being hospitalised for a total of 90 days over three separate occasions, 22 of which were in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU). After discharge, she has continued to undergo trauma, digestive, plastic surgery, and rehab evaluations.
Although it is not yet possible to determine the after-effects, the court considers that the cosmetic damage from the burns “will be extremely significant.” Furthermore, the burned areas, the court describes, have caused contractures in some joints, with those affecting the lower left limb being particularly severe, requiring surgical treatment that unfortunately has not shown good progress,” so far.
Prior to these incidents, doctors at the Hospital de la Axarquía observed two injuries the the back of the thigh of the 2-year-old sister, consistent with cigarette burns. According to the ruling, these injuries were caused by her parents through mutual agreement.
A psychological report on the sister was ordered to determine whether she showed symptoms of habitual abuse. Although it was not possible to determine this because her young age, the foster mother stated that she arrived frightened and fearful of anything new, “ducking down and covering her head.” The foster mother also claimed suffered from nightmares crying out “baby burn, baby hurt.”
The Málaga Court sentenced the father to 16 years in prison for his responsibility in the following crimes: habitual abuse (three years), domestic violence with the aggravating circumstance of malice (one year), and injuries with the aggravating circumstances of kinship and malice (12 years). He is also required to approach within 500 meters of the minor’s location and communicate with her by any means for 19 years.
As for the mother, the court ruled that she is only responsible for the first two offenses, thus acquitting her of the crime of injuries attributed to her by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, so her sentence does not surpass five years.
(News: City & Metropolitan Area, Malaga, Andalucia)
Keywords: Burn Injuries, Father, Baby, Immersed in Hot Water, Cigarette Burns, Guilty
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