Mother sentenced for failing to protect child

A 28-year-old mother has been placed on house arrest for failing to protect her young child from an abusive boyfriend.

The woman, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban, pleaded guilty Friday in Lethbridge court to one count of failing to provide the necessaries of life to her toddler after her boyfriend assaulted him over a two-week period in September of last year. She also failed to seek medical treatment for the little boy, whose injuries weren’t discovered until after a neighbour heard the sounds of an angry adult and a child screaming, and then called Family and Child Services.

Crown prosecutor Clayton Giles told court the boy was treated for “significant” bruises over much of his body, including his face and head, and lacerations to the inside of his mouth. When questioned by Family Services, the mother claimed her son had tripped over the dog.

The woman’s boyfriend, who also can’t be named, pleaded guilty in March to a charge of assault causing bodily harm and was handed a 33month prison sentence. The mother was originally charged with assault, as well, but it was dropped after her boyfriend accepted responsibility for assaulting the toddler.

Giles said even though the mother didn’t cause the injuries, it’s unacceptable that she didn’t seek medical help for her son or protect him from being assaulted.

“She failed to do that in a rather significant way,” Giles said.

He said even if she didn’t see her son being assaulted, the sheer volume of injuries and bruises could not be ignored and she should have taken the little boy to a doctor.

“Her affection for an adult trumped her affection for her child.”

Lethbridge lawyer Scott Hadford said his client can’t explain why her motherly instincts to protect her child became “non-existent,” at some point, and suggested she has suffered from psychological issues since her childhood. He added she is extremely remorseful and, because she gave up guardianship of her son, suffers from depression and anxiety.

“It is devastating to her,” Hadford said.

Judge Derek Redman handed the woman a conditional sentence of two years less a day, the first nine months of which she will be under house arrest. During the remaining 15 months of her sentence she must obey a daily curfew, with exceptions for such things as medical appointments, work, and shopping.

She is prohibited from drinking alcohol and she must have a psychological and psychiatric assessment and receive counselling for violence issues and substance abuse.

Redman noted the woman has already suffered from her actions because she lost permanent guardianship of her son, and he speculated that had she had taken her son to a doctor earlier, the abusive behaviour likely would have abruptly ended.

The woman also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of fraud stemming from incidents in Medicine Hat in 2016 in which she defrauded a bank of nearly $1,100. She was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation for three years, during which she must make restitution to the bank.

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