Parents each jailed for 14 years after daughter suffered catastrophic brain injury

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A father and mother were each sentenced to 14 years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after their daughter suffered catastrophic brain damage. The sentencing proceedings were reported on 7 March 2022.

Each parent had pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault causing serious harm and three charges of child cruelty at the family home in Dublin between 28 June and 2 July 2019. After a 12-day trial, the jury found both guilty on all counts. The verdict was reported on 29 October 2021.

The girl, who was nine at the time, was hospitalised on 2 July 2019. She suffered brain injuries from a combination of blunt force trauma and violent shaking of the head. She later could no longer walk, talk or sit independently and needed care around the clock.

Judge Martin Nolan said that only the mother was at home on the day the girl received the catastrophic brain injury, but both parents were jointly responsible for what happened. He said a possible belief that she was possessed by an evil spirit provided no defence or excuse.

In mitigation, the judge noted the father's good work history, the family's confined living circumstances and pressure, and evidence that the mother had difficulty coping. He also took account of the loss of their children and the difficulty prison would pose for them as foreign nationals with difficulties with English.

The parents cannot be named in order to protect their daughter's identity.