Nine-Week-Old Baby Had 35 Fractures, Parents Did Not Take Her To Hospital For 14 Days

A couple refused to take their daughter with 35 fractures to the hospital because they wanted to keep some fraudulent payments coming in.

The Daily Mail is reporting that Sarah Jane Mary Deal, 24, and her then-boyfriend, Hayden Shane Brooks, 25, ignored the advice of a medical professional and waited for 14 days before taking the horrifically injured infant to the hospital.

According to the story, in 2016, the Australian couple had delayed seeking medical attention out of fear that the woman would lose her Centrelink payment.

The 24-year-old woman was receiving money as a single mother and told police it was a major reason for not taking her daughter to the hospital. She believed the payments would stop if the agency found out that she and Hayden were living together.

At the time she was procrastinating, the infant was struggling to breathe and had gaunt eyes. When the 9-week-old baby was eventually taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth, doctors confirmed that she had 35 bone fractures—including a break in every long bone in her little body.

The shocked doctors also discovered that the little girl had bruises behind her ear as well as an eye injury.

The couple pleaded guilty to the charge of conduct that could harm a child. However, they were not charged with causing injuries to the child as it could not be proven who actually inflicted the injuries.

However, court documents accessed by Community News revealed family members accusing both parties of physically abusing the child.

In one instance, Brook’s grandmother witnessed Deal forcefully slamming the child down in her lap, causing the child to scream. Another instance saw Brook’s sister asking Hayden how the infant got a bruise on her right cheek, to which her brother replied it was because he dropped a lollipop on the baby’s face.

Nine-week old baby found with 35 bone fractures and bruises https://t.co/t65AC6WZUw

— Sonia Ives (@soniaeives) March 26, 2018

In another statement, the sister said she heard the baby screaming one night and it sounded like she was about to be slaughtered.

The parents lived with the infant at Brook’s parents’ home.

Deal was handed an 18-month sentence while Brooks received a 20-month term. The pair will have to see out half of their sentences before they are eligible for parole.

Justice Alan Troy in his sentencing painted a bleak picture that the little girl was raised in; an environment where the allegedly couple smoked cannabis regularly and deliberately caused harm to the child.

“She had sustained at least 35 fractures to her body…the vast majority of these injuries were inflicted deliberately. A number of the injuries are explicable by twisting or pulling on the limb.”

The judge said both offenders had shown remorse for their actions and were on the road to recovery. However, he said Deal had shown that she had a long way to go.

The incident occurred in 2016, and the judge noted that the infant, who is now 2-years-old, had recovered from her injuries and was now living happy and healthy with a foster family.

However, he declined to comment on the long-term effects of the abuse on the toddler.