Woman given 22yr prison term for manslaughter & child abuse of 5yo son

A woman has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for manslaughter and child abuse of her five-year-old son.

The boy weighed only 9.7 kilograms at the time of his death four years ago.

The defendent had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter and child abuse.

She was known to be a drug user and had three children.

According to witness testimonies, she showed favouritism towards her other children and had openly expressed dislike for the boy.

When he refused to sleep at night, she would tie his limbs, beat him with a rattan stick, and slap him.

In September 2022, the mother reported that her son had passed away. An autopsy report revealed 129 injuries on the child's body and he weighed only 9.7 kilograms. The direct cause of death was severe malnutrition, which the forensic pathologist believed was due to starvation.

In her sentencing remarks, Judge Susana Maria D'Almada Remedios noted that the boy had been deprived of food, water, education, and was "skin and bones".

She also stated that the defendent lacked the basic empathy expected of a mother, calling the case a heartbreaking and horrific tragedy.