GBH charge for baby’s brain bleed

A BABY is recovering from horrific injuries following an alleged shaking incident on the Gold Coast.

The four-month-old child was rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital on July 9 suffering from seizures.

It will be alleged the child had a severe brain bleed, consistent with being shaken.

Detective Senior Sergeant Troy Penrose, officer in charge of the Gold Coast Child Protection Investigation Unit, said officers began investigating after receiving a report from Queensland Health.

“A baby presented at the Gold Coast Hospital suffering from seizures. On medical examinations … it was revealed the child had brain bleeding,’’ he said. “The injuries were consistent with a shaken baby, we will allege.

“Queensland Health contacted the Department of Child Safety and police, which led to an investigation.

“We subsequently charged a 35-year-old Robina man with causing grievous bodily harm.”

The man is due to front Southport Magistrates Court in coming months.

Det Sen-Sgt Penrose said investigations into incidents involving injured children could be complex.

“Our investigation can involve interviewing family members, sourcing medical documents, trying to identify witnesses,’’ he said.

“These are difficult investigations,. You’re dealing with family and they become quite complex because families want to protect each other. Often it’s the case if there is an offender in the family causing mistreatment or harm, it makes interviewing people and sourcing information quite complex.

“We often engage in a range of conventional methodologies, door knocking, identifying witnesses, looking for CCTV, but a lot of trauma matters relating to kids can move into other unconventional methodologies.

“And certainly we can call on our child trauma unit in Brisbane and the CCC (Crime and Corruption Commission) for coercive hearing powers in certain circumstances.

“These types of offences, such as physical injuries, such as GBH to children, are in that category.”

Det Sen-Sgt Penrose said the assistance of doctors was critical in solving cases, with their medical expertise often the difference between charging or not charging a person.

“In a lot of these cases, we hear ‘I don’t know what happened’, but it doesn’t take long for medical practitioners to be able to verify these injuries are inflicted injuries.”