Foster carer from Klatovy region abused six-year-old niece. Court gave her three-year suspended sentence
A thirty-five-year-old woman from the Klatovy region physically and psychologically abused her six-year-old niece, who was in her foster care. The girl was left with trauma and battered child syndrome. The district court in Klatovy punished the woman with a three-year suspended sentence.
Foster carer from Klatovy region abused six-year-old niece. Court gave her three-year suspended sentence
The Klatovy district court punished a thirty-five-year-old foster carer with a three-year suspended sentence for abuse of a person entrusted to her care. The six-year-old girl, whom the woman cared for for almost six months from August 2024 to January 2025, suffered battered child syndrome from the period. The court resolved the case by criminal order, which has been legally binding since this week. The defendant and state prosecutor did not appeal against it.
According to the file, the aunt punished the child inappropriately. She hit her with a wooden spoon across the knees, with a ruler across the mouth, and with her fingers. At the same time, she psychologically tormented the girl – telling her she was ugly and threatening to place her in a children's home. The child also had to stand for long hours in a corner facing the wall.
The state prosecutor described the woman's behaviour as rough and reckless. "The victim experienced psychological suffering, which resulted in battered child syndrome," the prosecutor stated. Witnesses described how the girl reacted with a startle response at any sudden movement by an adult. An expert psychologist characterised this as a manifestation of traumatic experiences associated with physical punishment.
The defendant claimed during the preparatory proceedings that she had problems with her niece. "She swore at me and my children. She broke things. I did not punish her, I tried to resolve everything calmly. In the end, I preferred to give up the care myself," the woman testified. However, the expert designated the girl's witness testimony as credible. "I found no motive for revenge or hatred in her. She is incapable of deliberately distorting her testimony," the psychologist added.
Source: Novinky.cz
Source: Novinky.cz