Sexual molestation of 3-year-old: Mother remanded for ‘wilful neglect’

The mother of a 3-year-old girl who was sexually molested last Saturday was remanded to prison when she made an appearance in the Springlands Magistrate’s Court in chambers before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh on Thursday, charged with ‘wilful neglect’.

The mother, whose name is being withheld to protect the child’s identity, was not required to plead to the charge of “wilful neglect in a manner wholly to cause unnecessary suffering and injury” to the child.

Police prosecutor Inspector Godfrey Platter told the court that the woman is an alcoholic and has five children ages 2 to 14 years. He said between Saturday 18 June and Sunday, June 19 she went on a drinking spree. She returned home at 20:30h on Sunday and retired to bed with her children.

Platter said the accused woke about 01:30h the following day and discovered the 3-year-old infant missing from the bed. Upon checking, she found the child on the floor of the house bleeding profusely from the vagina.

The matter was reported to the police and the child taken to the hospital.

The prosecutor asked for bail to be refused on the grounds that the state of the infant’s health was unknown as she remains hospitalised.

Magistrate Singh remanded the mother to prison until Monday 27 June, 2016 when a medical report on the child’s progress is expected to be presented.

Meanwhile, Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam said as police continue their investigations, two other persons are in custody. He noted that the woman’s four other children will be placed in the care of a relative.

INews understands that the woman’s husband and father of the children, who is a fisherman has been at sea for some time now and it is unclear if he is aware of the incident.