Logan woman sentenced for slapping child 10 times for leaving home

A Logan mum says a ‘build up’ led her to brutally assault her eight-year-old son as he slept, after she discovered he’d snuck out alone at night.

A mother-of-two who slapped her child 10 times across the face, leaving him with “significant” bruising, said she did so because she was worried about his safety after he snuck out of home, a court has heard.

The Logan woman, who is aged in her 40s and cannot be named to protect the identity of her victim, appeared in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Thursday, August 8 and pleaded guilty to one count of assaults occasioning bodily harm.

Prosecutor Donna Kay said that while the incident occurred on one date, it was protracted as it involved her hitting her eight-year-old son numerous times.

It is understood the young boy snuck out of his family home at night and did not return until after 10pm. He fell asleep and was woken by his mum slapping him across the face.

The court heard he closed his eyes and she slapped him another nine to 10 times before leaving the room. The young boy cried then fell asleep, suffering “significant” bruising to his face.

The woman indicated she was angry and scared something may have happened to her child, and distressed as she felt she had no help in caring for him.

Defence solicitor Brittany Webb said there had been a number of instances leading up to the assault where the boy left the house without permission to socialise with other children in his neighbourhood.

She said his mum had attempted to prevent such behaviour in other, more appropriate ways but nothing was working.

She explained it was this “build-up” that ultimately led to the assault.

Ms Webb told the court her client had experienced a number of stresses over the past three years, including her child’s – the victim of the assault’s – ADHD diagnosis.

Magistrate Michael O’Driscoll told the woman her actions were excessive and were not excused by the stresses in her life nor by her son’s behaviour.

He suggested she “get the help that (she needs)” and sentenced her to six months’ imprisonment to be wholly suspended for an operational period of 18 months.

A conviction was recorded.