A young mother, who pleaded guilty to assaulting her baby daughter at Ennis Circuit Court, was told by the judge yesterday that she was highly irresponsible after it emerged that she recently gave birth to a second baby.
The 20-year-old woman pleaded guilty to wilfully assaulting, ill-treating or neglecting her daughter, then five months old, in January 1998 in a manner likely to cause her unnecessary suffering or injury to her health.
The charges against the Co Clare woman came after a paediatrician at Limerick Regional Hospital told gardai of multiple bruising on the baby girl's body at a case conference on January 28th, 1998, after the baby was admitted to the hospital.
Giving evidence, the Garda said coloured bruising on the baby's left cheek and jaw, seven bruises on her chest, two smaller bruises on the left side of her back and bruising on the left side of her knee and thigh were recorded by the hospital. The baby also sustained fractures to her right hip and left wrist.
According to Garda evidence, the woman, then aged 19, said the injuries came as a result of the baby getting her leg caught in a cot, falling out of bed on a number of occasions and the back of a pram collapsing on her.
According to a report submitted by a paediatrician at Limerick Regional Hospital, the woman's explanation for the injuries were highly unlikely and were consistent with non-accident injuries.
The court was told that the baby is now under the supervision of the Mid-Western Health Board which allows the mother supervised visits twice a week. The court was also told the woman gave birth to a second baby six weeks ago.
According to the Garda, the new baby is being cared for by the mother of the woman's partner. Judge Sean O'Leary said that the woman had compounded the problem, in that after her daughter was taken away from her for its own protection, she had given birth to another child.
He said: "It is highly irresponsible; children are not playthings. It is not the morality of it I am concerned with but, having failed already to look after the first baby, you then have another. The children are my concern. I do not want to punish the young lady."
Adjourning the case until next July, Judge O'Leary ordered that a social inquiry report be drawn up to allow him evaluate the matter at that date.