Multiple fractures: Dad admits to repeatedly assaulting a girl, breaking 14 bones in four months

A man admitted to repeatedly assaulting his young daughter, causing 14 fractures of different ages to the boy in his first four months of life.

After lying to the police and spending more than two years in court defending the charges related to child abuse, the man has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced.

The man cannot be legally named as his daughter, who survived the horrific attacks, has the deletion of his legal name.

To protect your privacy, you cannot be identified.

The man faces up to seven years in prison after being convicted of causing the 4-month-old serious bodily harm with reckless contempt.

Her partner, the girl’s mother, was also charged in connection with her injuries.

Your case is ongoing.

READ MORE:
Exclusive: 4-month-old baby suffers multiple ‘significant’ fractures from birth, according to police
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Judge Jonathan Moses gave the Herald access to the summary of events that describes what the man did to the boy and the extent of his injuries.

On February 18, 2018, the baby’s mother took her to a White Cross medical center in South Auckland.

The baby had a swollen right elbow and an x-ray detected a fracture.

She was transferred to Middlemore Hospital for evaluation.

The girl’s mother told staff that the father had “removed her from the right arm of the car seat” the day before.

The staff contacted the police when the explanation for the injury did not match the age of the fracture: it was much older than a day.

The next day, the baby underwent a complete skeletal exam – a series of x-rays of all the bones in the body.

In total, 14 fractures were found.

Each was caused at a different time, and some were curative.

Medical staff listed the fractures for the police and the court.

The 4-month-old girl had skull fractures on both sides of the head; fractures in the sixth, eighth, and eleventh right ribs and third, fourth, and fifth left ribs; fractures on both sides of his femur and tibia and one on his fibula.

She also had breaks in her two small arms.

The pediatrician who treated the girl said her fractures were “classically associated with non-accidental injuries.”

“Considering all injuries, in the absence of a plausible explanation and without a definitive history of trauma to satisfactorily explain the presence of multiple fractures of different ages, it is my opinion that the injuries inflicted are likely non-accidental.” he said.

A radiologist and pediatric radiologist consultant at Starship Hospital agreed.

“In their collective opinion, there was no evidence of any medical diagnosis, other than trauma,” said the police summary of the events.

Police said the injuries were caused by the father’s behavior, “knowing that each time there was a risk of serious bodily harm.”

“Based on medical evidence, the (father) caused these injuries with a significant degree of force,” they said.

“It is likely that the rib fractures were caused by (the father) squeezing his ribs violently.

“It is very likely that the arm and leg fractures were caused by violent shaking (of the baby).

“Skull fractures on both sides of (the baby’s) head are more likely to be caused by a hard object when hit on both sides of the head or by hitting the head against a hard object, on both sides.

Police were notified on February 20, and two days later, a District Court judge issued a surveillance order.

The order allowed the police to intercept calls between the baby’s parents.

On March 18, they heard the man tell his partner that he had “told his mother the truth” about what happened to the baby, that “he was always hard on her” and that she always cried for him.

“(He) reported that he told his mother how he was frustrated with (the baby) and that he would be tired from work,” the summary said.

“He went on to say that he hated when (the baby’s mother) came and settled in (the baby) right away.”

“He mentioned on the call that he would see what he had to do to turn himself in the next day.”

At the end of the call, the baby’s mother said “thanks for telling the truth, I didn’t want to break up and then say it was you.”

“I didn’t want you to blame me for telling you,” he said.

Despite his promise, the man did not turn himself in.

And, officers continued to listen to his phone calls to his partner where it was clear that “there was no indication of any plan” for him to speak to police about the baby’s injuries.

Police went to the next phase of their investigation and interviewed the man three times.

The first time she said the baby’s older sister had hit her with a plastic toy, causing both skull fractures.

He explained that the broken arm was from when he lifted it by the end of a car seat.

He did not provide any explanation for the other fractures.

The second interview was just under a month later.

There, the police described “the exact mechanisms for injuries” to the girl.

He said he could not provide further explanations for the fractures.

Thirteen days later a third interview took place.

“(He) reported that he believed the fractures were caused by him manipulating and holding (the baby) in an approximate manner,” the summary said.

“(He) explained that she would get frustrated with (the baby) and that when he picked her up she would cry even louder.

“(He) demonstrated how he would hold (the baby) upside down in the center of the elbow with (the head) compressed between the forearm and upper arm.”

The man will be sentenced on May 29 in the Manukau District Court.

Child abuse – New Zealand horror statistics

On average, a child dies every five weeks in New Zealand from abuse, one of the worst rates in the developed world.

Between January 1, 2019 and November 30, 2019, 11 children and youth died as a result of a homicide in New Zealand.

According to Child Matters, more than two-thirds of young victims were 2 years old or younger and of the cases in which the relationship between the murderer and the child was established: 27 percent were mothers, 24 percent were fathers, and 17 percent a hundred were de facto partners.

The Herald previously reported that the majority of children admitted to Auckland Starship Hospital as a result of suspected abuse or neglect are under the age of 1.

The median age of children admitted for abuse or neglect-related injuries was only 5 months.

Dr. Patrick Kelly, leader of the Child Protective Team at Starship Hospital, said head injuries were the most common in children admitted with injuries caused by suspected abuse.

Can you help

If you have information about how this girl was injured, at any time, contact the police.

Information can be transmitted to the County Manukau Child Protection Team on 09 213 8571, or anonymously through the Crimestoppers report line at 0800 555 111.

Members of the public can also send a private message to the police on Facebook by clicking here.

If you are concerned about a child, you should contact Oranga Tamariki immediately at 0508 326 459; or send an email to [email protected].

If the child or youth is in immediate danger, call the police at 111.