Jon T. (35) from Helmond was sentenced on Monday to seven years in prison for killing his six-week-old son Mats in 2021. T. denies that he did it. He also does not provide clarity about what exactly happened.
It is clear to the court what happened: the judge rules that it cannot be anything other than that the father used intense violence, which led to serious brain damage and ultimately the death of the baby.
Normal day
A number of factors play a role in arriving at that conclusion. For example, the mother stated that nothing was wrong on that day in 2021 and that the baby was happy when she left to go for a walk.
The fact that the baby could not yet move on its own and that the injury could therefore not have been caused by itself also counts. In addition, there are no indications that anything else happened, such as a fall from a great height, which could explain the injury.
According to the court, the baby’s brain damage occurred just before the father called 911.
Walk
On the day in question, Mats’ mother went for a walk for the first time since the baby was born and father Jon stayed home alone with Mats. After a while she received a panicked call from Jon. Something was completely wrong with the baby, who was gasping for breath and limp. Baby Mats was quickly taken to the hospital, but six days later the decision had to be made to stop the treatment.
Investigation into the death of baby Mats showed that he had significant brain damage and had previously broken a few ribs. Reason enough to arrest father Jon and detain him for almost two months.
Family supports Jon
The woman and other family members support Jon in his story: he does not know how baby Mats died and he finds it terrible.
The officer previously said that according to her, Jon T. has been keeping up appearances for almost five years. “We will never know what happened and I find that shameful,” she said. “And with another child in the family, there is a possibility it could happen again.”
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