Mother charged in connection with baby’s broken arm two years ago
A Calgary woman has been charged in connection with injuries sustained by her baby daughter nearly two years ago.
Calgary police say an 11-monthold girl was taken to the Alberta Children’s Hospital with a broken arm in March 2018. But the child’s injury was not consistent with the story the baby’s mother told doctors at the time.
Police were notified and launched an investigation.
“Working closely with our partners at the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre, we learned that the girl’s twin brother lived in the same home. A medical examination of him found that he had a fractured right ankle and multiple skull fractures,” Calgary police said in a news release.
“It is believed that the mother was the only caregiver for the children at the time of the incident and no plausible explanation for the children’s injuries has been provided by her.”
Police charged the mother with one count of aggravated assault last Thursday in connection with her daughter’s broken arm.
No charges have yet been laid in connection with the boy’s injuries.
Police say they will not release the woman’s name to protect the privacy of the children, as they share a last name with their mother.
“This was a very complex investigation,” said Det. Amy Spence of the Calgary police child abuse unit. “They become a little bit more complex when we’re dealing with children that are under the age of two, typically, and they can’t tell us a story or speak for themselves.”
Police interviewed multiple witnesses and obtained numerous medical records throughout the investigation.
Spence said the mother of the children has no prior criminal record.
Both children are now “in a safe and loving home,” she added.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Police are asking anyone who knows the family or has information relevant to this case to call 403-266-1234 or leave a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
“I believe that there’s people out there that have information that can help further this investigation,” Spence said.
Spence said the child abuse unit has already handled 150 files this year. In 2019, there were around 600 cases.