Lethbridge judge hears of violent abuse, injuries suffered by infant at hands of father

WARNING: This story contains details of child abuse.

A Lethbridge mother admitted Friday that she witnessed the violent abuse of her infant daughter over the course of the baby's first six weeks of life but did not remove the child from the situation and did not seek medical care or report the assaults to police.

The 31-year-old woman, who can't be identified in order to protect her daughter, pleaded guilty to failing to provide the necessaries of life to the infant.

The baby survived the abuse, but doctors say her prognosis is "uncertain" and "will only be known as she grows," according to an agreed statement of factsread in a Lethbridge courtroom by prosecutor Drew Gillespie.

The child's father faces charges of aggravated assault, sexual assault, sexual interference and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

• Father, mother charged in abuse of 6-week-old Lethbridge infant

None of the alleged sexual abuse was detailed in the statement of facts. The father is due in court later this month.

The infant spent three months in hospital and was released in April, but court heard she may have cerebral palsy as a result of her brain injuries and might be permanently blind in her left eye.

Roomate reported abuse

The baby was abused from the time she was born last December until her parents were arrested six weeks later, on Jan.18.

The situation came to light after the roommate of the couple reported witnessing the father assaulting the newborn.

The man reported seeing the father slap the baby in the head and face. He said he witnessed the father "bouncing her off the couch and bed."

After she was taken into custody, the mother told police the baby's father would put his hand over the child's mouth and shake her head.

When the baby cried, the father shook her, according to the mother.

Injured baby airlifted to Calgary

The woman also told police there were times the baby was left alone with the father.

The couple's roommate told the mother to call police or else he would. The mother did not. She eventually told police she feared the baby would be taken away from her.

On Jan.18, the roommate reported the abuse. When police showed up at the home, the baby was in medical distress. She had trouble breathing, was twitching and had a fixed gaze.

On the way to hospital, the infant had a seizure and "rapidly deteriorated," according to the agreed statement of facts.

The baby was intubated and doctors discovered she had a brain bleed. The six-week old was airlifted to the children's hospital in Calgary.

Prognosis unknown

Doctors at the Alberta Children's Hospital determined the child had suffered blunt force or shaking injuries to her brain. She also suffered "very severe" injuries to her spinal ligaments and bleeding around her spinal cord," according to the facts.

The force required to cause those injuries to the baby would have been more than an automobile accident, according to the statement of facts.

Hemorrhagesin both eyes and injuries to her eye have potentially left the girl permanently blind in her left eye.

Because of the pressure on the baby's brain, doctors were not confident she would survive her injuries when she arrived in Calgary.

Justice Eric Peterson will hear sentencing submissions from defence lawyer John Oman and prosecutors Gillespie and Suzanne Kendall after a pre-sentence report is completed.

The mother is set to return to court in Lethbridge in August.