Parents of two babies convicted of child abuse

The Malaga Court on Monday sentenced the parents of two children, aged two years and just over a month, for frequent mistreatment and premeditated domestic violence, in Malaga, Spain, reports El País.

The events date back to 2022 and earlier. Among the attacks, the most serious occurred in October 2022, when the baby, just 47 days old, was immersed by her father in hot water , "between 45 and 55 degrees," according to the court, suffering second-degree burns over 42% of her body. The Malaga Court ruled out the possibility of an accident, as the extent of the injuries implied the baby had been in contact with the water for between 17 seconds and two minutes.

But this wasn't the only injury the baby suffered. According to the hospital where she was taken after the burns, the girl had a brain hematoma and another on her cheek, "with the appearance of a bite," as well as fractures in various parts of her body and injuries to both her chest and lower limbs, which, according to the hospital, appeared to be not recent. The hospital also found burns on her genitals and fingernail marks.

In addition to the physical injuries, the baby showed signs of severe malnutrition and dehydration — confirmed by the ruling, which clarified that the baby had only gained 420 grams since birth.

The child was hospitalized three times. Although it is not yet possible to specify the possible permanent marks of the assaults, the court alleges that the consequences of the traumatic brain injury will be felt in his growth, particularly in "difficulty controlling attention and problem-solving." Furthermore, the hospital confirms that the burns caused the retraction of some joints.

The girls are now in the care of a foster family. The victim's older sister is not seriously injured, but the girls' foster family told the Spanish newspaper that she was very scared, covering her head in fear, having numerous nightmares , and waking up screaming "Bebé se quema, bebé pupa" ("Baby burns, baby hurts").

The Malaga Court sentenced the father, who already had a criminal record, to 16 years in prison for the crimes of ill-treatment, premeditated domestic violence, and assault, aggravated by the fact that the father was related. The coercive measures also included the withdrawal of parental authority over the children and a ban on coming within 500 meters of them.

The girls' mother was also sentenced to four years in prison for frequent abuse and premeditated domestic violence, but was acquitted of burning the baby due to a lack of evidence proving she was present at the time. Furthermore, the mother was the one who took the baby to the hospital, which was a mitigating factor in her conviction.