Child basher jailed

Press, 21 December 1978, Page 2

Child basher jailed

NZPA Auckland A mother of two who “savagely battered to death” a four-year-old child was yesterday sentenced to 15 months in jail. It was a classic case of baby bashing, said Mr Justice" Vautier. He accepted that the woman, aged 30, was now suffering from dreadful remorse, but he could not ignore the fact that she had beaten the little girl to death. Pathologists’ reports showed that the child had 70 separate areas of external bruising and deep bruising and rupture of internal organs. “This was a case of a child savagely battered to death,” his Honour said. He could not allow sympathy to overshadow the fact that a human life had been taken in this way. It was a tragic

case and sad that the woman should appear for sentence on the eve of Christmas. His Honour said he accepted that great pressures had developed in the woman’s domestic life and that she suffered emotional strain while looking after three children, all under five.

He granted an application that the woman’s name should not be published because her husband had to cope with their two children. The woman had pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court at Auckland to the manslaughter of the child whom she was taking care of.

Counsel (Mr M. J. A. Brown) said doctors had told him it was a classic babybashing case which occurred suddenly and was quite out of character for the woman.