Mother Who Locked Newborn Daughter in Drawer for 3 Years... Even a 46-Year Veteran Judge Calls It "Most Heinous"

Fed only milk and cereal by syringe
Rashes, malnutrition, dehydration, cleft palate, etc.
Law: "The most heinous case in 46 years"

A woman in the UK has sparked public outrage after it was revealed that she raised her infant daughter locked in a drawer for three years.

On the 27th (local time), according to local media including CNN UK and BBC, the Chester Crown Court in the northwest sentenced the woman, charged with four counts of child abuse, to 7 years and 6 months in prison. After giving birth in March 2020, she hid the child's existence from her spouse and other children until February last year. She left the child alone at home whenever she went to work, took her other children to school, or visited relatives during Christmas. It is reported that the woman fed the child only milk and cereal using a syringe.

The child's existence was later discovered by the woman's partner, bringing the case to light. After starting to live together with her partner, she moved the child to another room. One day, the partner briefly stopped by the house to use the bathroom and heard noises from the bedroom, where he found the child. He immediately reported the situation to the police, and the next day social welfare workers visited the home. When asked if the child was usually kept in a drawer, the woman replied, "Yes, in a drawer." At the time of discovery, the child’s hair was tangled, and she suffered from slight physical deformities, rashes, malnutrition, and dehydration. Due to a cleft palate, her palate was split, making it difficult for her to speak properly.

A social worker who testified in court recalled the moment the child was found, saying, "The woman showed no emotion and had a blank expression." She also said, "I felt fear knowing that I was the only person besides the mother’s face that the child had ever seen." The prosecution explained, "The child was locked in the bedroom drawer and never went outside, nor did she interact or socialize with others," adding, "Her current developmental age is between 0 and 10 months." The foster caregiver also testified, "When we called the child, it was clear she did not know her own name," and "We even had to teach her how to smile. She didn’t even know what food was." Two police officers who investigated the case were moved to tears by the testimony.

During police questioning, the woman confessed, "I didn’t know I was pregnant and was too scared to give birth," and "I didn’t want to reveal the birth because the child’s father had a violent nature." She also claimed, "I never closed the drawer where the child was kept, and she wasn’t always in the drawer," but did not acknowledge the child as a member of the family. Her lawyer argued, "There were several exceptional circumstances, including the woman’s mental health, an unstable relationship with a violent father, and the COVID-19 lockdown."

However, Judge Steven Everett criticized, "I cannot believe what the woman did. In my 46 years as a judge, I have never encountered such a cruel case." He added, "You gave that little child no love, affection, attention, interaction, proper diet, or medical help," and scolded her, saying, "The consequences for the child are catastrophic physically, mentally, and socially."