Mom not present during abuse, court hears

Battered Baby L. Photo: INLSA

Battered Baby L. Photo: INLSA

Published Jan 14, 2014

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Pretoria - A 20-year-old woman accused with her boyfriend of injuring her two-year-old girl told the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday she was not present when the abuse occurred.

On three occasions, the accused received calls at work about the child being injured, her lawyer Pieter Coetzee read to the court from her affidavit.

The child had attended school during the year, but had spent December in the care of the mom’s boyfriend, the court heard.

On one occasion, he claimed they had fallen down the stairs, and on another that the child had fallen off a washing machine.

She was taken to the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria and was later discharged.

“Then we went to a private hospital, but the doctor was shocked that the child was released and we took her back,” Bruyns said in her affidavit.

Both the accused were arrested after the baby was admitted to hospital with serious head and body injuries.

The child had broken ribs, a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, a punctured pancreas and kidney, severe bruising all over the body, and suspected brain damage.

The mom brought a bail application on Tuesday.

Her co-accused’s lawyer told the court he was not ready to proceed with his application for bail. He would return to court on January 17.

Magistrate Pierre Wessels said he had a problem with the mom’s emotional state and wanted a psychological report.

The court was packed with community members wearing black T-shirts bearing an image of the child. - Sapa

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