A former child-minder from the Flemish Brabant municipality of Kampenhout has been given a 3-year suspended prison sentence after having been found guilty of physically abusing a 6-month-old baby. The woman was found guilty of having had violently shaken the baby, causing him to suffer severe brain trauma. The child-minder failed to notify the emergency services. The little boy now suffers from epilepsy and has a learning disability as a result of the abuse.
3-year suspended prison sentence for Flemish Brabant child-minder that physically abused baby
Published:
On 11 May 2020 6-month-old Arnaud’s mother went to collect him from the crèche. The child-minder told her that Arnaud was ill and had been sick a couple of times. However, Arnaud’s mother noticed that he was very pale and hardly reacted when attempts were made to interact with him.
She took Arnaud to their GP, who sent them straight to the A&E Department at Leuven University Hospital (UZ Leuven). The doctors there found that Arnaud had two cerebral haemorrhages. He was put into an artificial coma. The baby boy remained in hospital for several months.
The physician appointed by the prosecutor’s office said that Arnaud’s injuries could only have come about as a result of him having been violently shaken. 5 complaints against the child-minder were already being investigated following previous incidents.
Proof
At court the defence claimed that there was no firm evidence that the child-minder had abused the baby. However, the court ruled that she was the only person that could have caused baby Arnaud’s injuries, and she should have called an ambulance. In addition to a 3-year suspended prison sentences the child-minder was also ordered to pay 30,000 in compensation.
Although, Arnaud has recovered well, he has epilepsy and learning difficulties as a result of the maltreatment he suffered at the hands of the child-minder.