An Australian father, who shook his infant so hard he fractured his skull, has been given custody of that child and walked free from court today.
The father pleaded guilty to single counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.
The infant was one-month old when paramedics were called to the home by the boys mother, back in 2012, as he was ‘listless’, gasping for air and suffering periods of apnoea of between five and ten seconds.
Once hospitalised the mother told doctors her son had choked on vomit and become ‘floppy and purple.’
Tests revealed the child was suffering a fractured skull, ribs, collarbone, arm and femur, as well as stretching and tearing of nerve sells in the brain.
It was determined the injuries were ‘non-accidental’ and that weeks prior to the boys hospitalisation the father had squeezed him, causing some of the fractures, and 24 hours prior had shaken him.
The mother had regularly taken their son to the doctor, with all reports indicating the child was healthy bar some bruising to his arm.
Episodes of crying were put down to reflux and constipation which were treated by the GP.
Throughout three police interviews the parents, who have since had two other children, denied any wrongdoing.
The child was released from hospital in June 2012 into the care of his maternal grandmother, but just 18 months later he was back with his parents as the Department of Child Safety had no further concerns.
Police charged the pair in relation to the injuries in April 2014, but the child still remained in their care.
Despite the extent of the injuries, the boy has suffered no lasting physical damage.
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