The Verviers Criminal Court on Friday convicted a couple of subjecting two infants, a boy aged two years and a one-year-old girl, to inhumane treatment. The man was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison and his partner to 40 months with probation.
The case came to light after a complaint from the children's father, who had not seen them since his ex-partner started a new relationship. When the police intervened, they found that the children showed signs of beatings. A medical examination revealed 57 bruises on the boy and 14 skin lesions on the girl. Both children were admitted to hospital.
After initially denying it, the man confessed to beating the children. He claimed that he had had a "strict upbringing" and that medication he was taking had dulled his emotions. His lawyer asked for a suspended sentence, but the Public Prosecutor demanded seven years in prison.
The woman said she had never seen her partner hit the children and that she herself was not a victim. However, she admitted to being under his influence. Her lawyer requested a reclassification of her charge to culpable negligence, while the public prosecutor demanded a five-year prison sentence.
The court ruled that the couple's statements were not credible and found that the facts of inhumane treatment had been proven.
