Court
03/16/2023 21:54 (act. 03/16/2023 21:54)
Harvey was autistic and unable to speak. © Nottinghamshire Police
A 23-year-old woman in England was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for killing her three-year-old stepson. Little Harvey, who couldn’t speak and had autism, was the victim of an “ongoing violent attack” in August 2021, the Nottingham High Court judge said. The woman claimed the boy fell backwards off a couch and hit his head on the floor. However, the court concluded that she had hit the child several times. She had abused the child several times before, breaking his arm in the process.
Mother filmed the boy after the fact
When the boy lost consciousness, the stepmother filmed him and only called an ambulance a few minutes later. “She considered ways to avoid responsibility for her actions as Harvey fought for his life,” prosecutors said. The boy suffered severe head injuries and died in hospital two days later.
Text messages to the child’s father
The convicts’ text messages to the boy’s father after the crime showed “a shocking lack of care and concern”, the judge said. At the time of the crime, the woman was alone with the three-year-old child because her father was not at home.
“Absolutely inhumane”
The court called the act “absolutely inhuman” and sentenced the woman to 15 years in prison. The judge said the sentence was the worst he had ever imposed. This case reminds us of the importance of fighting child abuse and neglect and holding those responsible accountable.
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