A 23-month-old toddler girl was found by hospital staff to have a “severe genital injury” likely caused by an unknown implement, the sexual abuse and cruelty trial of her mother's partner has heard.
The likely cause of the injury to the child was a “significant trauma”, and it's not possible to say what implement or object was used or if a body part caused the injury, a consultant paediatrician told the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday.
Medical staff found the little girl also had multiple bruises which they concluded were likely to be non-accidental as well as a fractured wrist injury which had occurred about four weeks previously, the trial of the 30-year-old man heard.
Bitten
The court heard a doctor was told by the children's mother and the accused man that he had bitten the girl's then three-year-old brother as part of a “parenting lesson”.
The Dublin man has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges involving sexual abuse and reckless endangerment of the little girl, as well as child cruelty to her and her brother on dates between February and April 2018.
The girl was just under two and the boy was between two and three years old at the time of the alleged offences. The man cannot be named for legal reasons.
The jury has been told the toddler was taken to hospital in April 2018, following a home visit by gardaí and social workers after an incident in a shopping centre. The girl was seen to have bruising to her face.
Dr Emma Curtis, a consultant paediatrician, told Shane Costelloe SC, prosecuting, on Tuesday that she and a colleague examined the little girl on April 5th, 2018 after they were referred by colleagues. Dr Curtis also examined the girl's brother as a result of her injuries and compiled reports on both children.
Dr Curtis's report on the girl found that she suffered a “severe genital injury with perineal disruption”. The injury was estimated to have occurred more than a day and possibly some days prior to the examination.
'Absolutely not' accidental
The likely cause of the injury was “significant trauma”, Dr Curtis said. “It's not possible to say with what implement or object this injury was caused,” she said. Under cross-examination from Seamus Clarke SC, defending, Dr Curtis said it was also not possible to say whether a body part could have caused the injury.
She told the court the genital injury could “absolutely not” have been accidental. She said no explanation was provided as to what caused the injury and the “only explanation is a significant event” such as a road traffic accident or a major fall involving impaling.
Dr Curtis told the court the injury would have bled, would have been painful for the child and “should have received immediate attention”.
The court heard doctors were unable to operate on the toddler due to the injury being over 24 hours old. She may suffer from future faecal incontinence or constipation as a result of the injuries, and she may have difficulty with a vaginal delivery in childbirth, Dr Curtis said.
When asked what might have happened if the injury had gone untreated, Dr Curtis said there would be a risk of infection, including sepsis.
In relation to the bruises, Dr Curtis said the little girl had “extensive” bruising in locations where accidental injuries are not common.
Bruises
These included bruises to her face, back and legs. She had some bruises that were suggestive of bite marks. The court heard her mother and partner said her brother had bitten her.
When asked by defence counsel whether accidental bruising could not be ruled out, Dr Curtis said there was no particular injury or particular bruising that is proof of abusive trauma.
“But there's quite a lot of research to identify or tease out what bruises are more likely to be accidental and when they are more likely to be an abusive injury,” she said.
She said in her view, the number of bruises and the location of the bruises such as those on the cheek and back was “concerning”.
In relation to the wrist fracture, Dr Curtis said this injury was estimated to be about four weeks old. She said it would have been painful.
She said the mother and accused man reported that the girl had not complained of a sore wrist.
Dr Curtis also brought the court through a report on the girl's brother. The physical examination of this boy, then aged three, was found to be “essentially normal”, she said. He had three bruises on his forearm and legs that were suggestive of bite marks.
Dr Curtis said the boy's mother and accused man told her that two of the bites were from his little sister and the third was by the accused man as part of a “parenting lesson” because he had also been biting his sister.
This was done by the man to show the boy that biting was wrong, the court heard.
Not guilty plea
In relation to the little girl, the man has pleaded not guilty to seven charges. He has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting her by penetrating her vagina with an object and to intentionally or recklessly endangering her by failing to seek medical help for injuries to her genital area.
He has further pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting her by biting her on her genital area.
The man has also pleaded not guilty to four charges of child cruelty against the girl, including failing to seek medical help for an injury to her wrist, causing bruising to her face and body, ill-treating her at a Dublin shopping centre and leaving her outside an apartment door.
In relation to the boy, the man has denied three charges of child cruelty. He has pleaded not guilty to causing bruising to his penis, body and face, to ill-treating him at a Dublin shopping centre and to leaving him outside an apartment door along with his little sister.
The trial continues before Mr Justice David Keane and a jury.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
