Young Sunshine Coast mum sentenced for cruelty of a child under 16

A Sunshine Coast boy went without proper medical treatment for broken bones and bruising including around his genitalia in a horrific act of neglect. WARNING: Graphic content

There were emotional scenes at Maroochydore Court House as details of child neglect were heard. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Harrowing details have emerged in court of a Nambour toddler who went without medical treatment for broken bones and bruises including around his genitalia for several months.

A young mum sat in the Maroochydore District Court dock as the court heard harrowing details of how she and her partner at the time failed to give proper medical assistance for the young boy between October 12, 2021 and January 10, 2022.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks told the court another adult discovered the young boy had severe nappy rash on October 13, 2021; but the boy was never given proper medical treatment for it.

Ms Marks said the mum told police she had bought a special cream for the rash but could not remember what it was called.

The court was told the boy was later found with bruising over his right ear on November 16, bruising on the back of his arm on November 30, with an apparent cigarette burn to his upper back on December 1 and with bruising to his genitalia on December 24.

Ms Marks said there was no record the boy was given proper medical attention for any of these.

The Sunshine Coast mother eventually took the young boy to hospital on January 9 for severe pain in his leg, where it was revealed he had a spiral fracture of his left femur, which would have happened several days before the hospital trip. He also had bruises to his collarbone and left shoulder.

The hospital later performed a skeletal scan on the boy on January 12, where it was discovered he had several healing fractures including on his collarbone. These needed to be operated on.

Ms Marks said the two times the boy was given proper medical attention, the extent of the boy’s pain was underplayed to doctors or how the injuries happened. It could not be confirmed who had injured the child.

She told the court the mum would have known about the boy’s injuries either by noticing the marks on his body or by recognising he was in pain.

A victim impact statement from the young boy’s paternal grandparents, who now care for him, said the boy has undergone physical therapy and sees a psychologist as a result of the neglect.

Barrister Daniel Boddice told the court his client accepted she took the child to hospital but failed to take his injuries further.

He told the court the neglect of the child transpired while she was in a domestically violent relationship with her co-accused.

The court was told the young mum went into custody on June 1, 2022, where she gave birth to her second child, who is now in the care of the mum’s older sister.

Mr Boddice told the court his client’s mother was recently diagnosed with a severe medical condition, and it was his client’s intention to care for her mother full-time upon her release.

The young mother pleaded guilty to one charge of cruelty to a child under 16.

She was sentenced to 544 days behind bars, with the time she spent in presentence custody as time served. She was released immediately.

A conviction was recorded.

She cried and hugged her mother after the sentence was handed down.