A teen has been sentenced at the New Plymouth District Court for breaking his newborn son's ribs and bruising his face and body. Photo / 123rf
WARNING: This story discusses the physical assault of a newborn and may be distressing for some readers
A teen father who broke the ribs of his newborn son and bruised his face and body says he had become “tired and overwhelmed” after being tasked with the baby’s night feeds.
The baby’s young mother was experiencing post-natal depression and had been medicated to help her sleep.
The father, who cannot be named, took on predominant care of the baby and, on occasions, the mother woke during the night to hear the then-18-year-old telling their son to “shut up” and “go to f***ing sleep”.
She later found bruising on the child, which led to the discovery that his ribs had been broken when he was around 5 weeks old.
Today, the New Plymouth District Court heard the impact of the father’s actions.
“At the time of being told that [my son] had two fractured ribs, I felt like my heart had been ripped out and I cried in [the father’s] arms, not knowing it was him that did it,” the mother said in her victim impact statement read to the court.
“I am still traumatised by this and cry often, knowing that I let someone... who was so close to me look after his own child, who he was supposed to love and care for, but he hurt so badly.”
The mother felt wracked with guilt that she was unable to protect her son.
She said the father’s actions were “unspeakable” and she no longer trusted people with her child.
“I cannot imagine how [my son] felt, all the pain he was going through and I feel so guilty that he was in pain with no help because I had no idea.”
She recalled questioning who had hurt him.
“The truth is, he was right in front of me all along.
“You hurt our little boy and I will never forgive you or forget.”
The court heard the baby had spent time in the neonatal unit after complications during his birth.
After further health complications, the mother felt she had been unable to form a bond with her son and she was diagnosed with post-natal depression.
She often saw the father become frustrated with their baby, and said he once shared he had thoughts of harming someone and did not know how to deal with it.
When the baby was 4 weeks old, the mother took him to hospital as he was breathing irregularly and had a “hoarse cry that sounded like he was hurt”. The symptoms went away without intervention.
Later that month, bruising was discovered on the baby’s cheek and jaw.
“The bruising looked like an adult hand, in that they were four to five little circles the size of fingerprints,” the summary of facts stated.
On another occasion, the mother found “purplish marks” on the baby’s legs, arms and back.
She took him to hospital where it was confirmed they were bruises and were caused by his “limbs being squeezed manually”.
This led to a skeletal examination taking place, which found the 8-week-old had two healing rib fractures.
Medical experts deemed he had sustained the fractures around three weeks earlier.
The father was subsequently arrested and told police he was tired and overwhelmed after having taken on his son’s night feeds.
While he said there were times when he wanted to ask for help, but was too embarrassed, he denied that the responsibility ever became “too much” for him to handle.
In sentencing the now 19-year-old, Judge Tony Greig said the teen had strongly denied the allegations when speaking with a pre-sentence report writer, claiming the injuries were caused by someone else.
The report stated that if the father were to remain offence-free, he would need focused, rehabilitative intervention to manage his anger and emotions.
He has completed a 10-week, non-violence programme but more programmes were needed, it said.
The report found his prospects of successful rehabilitation were remote, given his persistent denial of what occurred and his tendency to deflect blame on to others.
But Judge Greig did not believe it was as bleak as that.
While the father also denied hurting the child when speaking with a psychologist, the judge said he could hold that view and still be guilty of reckless disregard.
“In other words, you handled him roughly but not in a way that was intended to cause him an injury in the way that you did.”
The judge found it was somewhere between an accident and a fully intentional act.
“That’s why I try to give you some hope of having a normal relationship with [the child] in the future.
“But this is where you are going to have to show maturity and guts.”
The judge said the psychologist’s report found several personality and situational factors predisposed the father to harming his child, including a history of having difficulty regulating his anger, seeking help, and issues with his own father.
“If [the father] was responsible for his son’s injuries, it might not be entirely surprising that he denies that,” the judge said, reading the report.
“When he found out he was going to be a father, he promised he was not going to be like his own biological father, who he knew was both violent towards his mother and had abandoned the family when he was younger.”
His denial may be a result of him being unable to accept that he had violated that promise, it said.
The report also stated he needed further help to address his issues.
On charges of injuring with reckless disregard and breaching a protection order relating to the child’s mother, Judge Greig sentenced the teen to nine months of home detention.
He implored him to engage in the recommended treatment, or he may never have a relationship with his son.
“It is all up to you. That would be your tragedy and as you know, through having an absent father, it would be [your child’s] tragedy as well.”
Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 and is currently an assistant editor and reporter for the Open Justice team. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.