A 31-year-old woman from Klijndijk who is suspected of attempted manslaughter on her three-week-old baby must be sentenced to three years in prison, according to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), one year of which is conditional.
After the sentence, the woman would have to go to a clinic for tailor-made treatment, according to the public prosecutor. “Before she goes to the clinic, she has to deal with a prison sentence. The child could have died. This case is too serious.”
The three-week-old baby was admitted to Emmer Hospital on September 19 because she was vomiting badly. Serious brain injuries and broken ribs were found there. Neither the mother nor her boyfriend had any explanation for this. The doctor then called the police and Safe Home.
When the couple was overheard during the police investigation, the woman spoke about a possible arrest and whether she would better turn herself in. She had told her sisters that she had accidentally dropped the child. She had hit her baby hard on the head several times, dropped it to the floor, pressing on her chest.
The woman endured an unsafe childhood full of placements in boarding schools. Experts determined that the woman suffers from trauma and a borderline personality disorder. The woman feels guilty about what she did to her baby.
The court was supposed to rule on this case two months ago, but it was postponed. The court wanted more research into a suitable clinic for the woman. That place has now been found. The woman could be placed there in the short term.
Attorney Pieters stated that this opportunity should be taken advantage of immediately. She asked the court, if the fact can be proven, to impose a prison sentence equal to the pre-trial detention on her client. “She’s been in jail for nine months now. That’s enough punishment. My client doesn’t belong in prison.”
After today’s criminal case, the woman first had to return to her cell. When leaving the courtroom, the emotional woman shouted to the public gallery ‘I love you’ and waved a hand kiss.
“This is a drama for all,” said her counsel. Judgment is in two weeks.