Couple accused of putting son in microwave

The couple first tried to blame the boy's burn on a cleaning agent. Photo / St. Francois County Attorney's Office

A couple from Missouri, US, are accused of assaulting their infant son and putting him in the microwave for "a short period of time".

Derick Boyce-Slezak and Mikala Boyce-Slezak, both 22, face felony child abuse charges.

Their son was under 4-months-old at the time of the alleged assault in April when he was taken to hospital with a rash on his face which turned out to be a wound.

Court documents show the parents claimed the second-degree burn had been caused by a cleaning agent. However, further tests showed the boy had a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma.

The mother ended up pleading the fifth amendment (the US equivalent of the right to remain silent) in court on Monday. The father also did not testify.

An employee for the Children's Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services said in court that Mikala Boyce-Slezak had previously said she would testify that the head wounds had been inflicted by the father, who she said dropped the son on his head while trying to copy a TV commercial.

The same employee also told court the mother believes Derick Boyce-Slezak put the baby inside the microwave and turned it on "for a short period of time".