On Monday, the southern Belgian Hainaut assize court sentenced a mother and her partner for the torture and violent assault of her 3-year-old daughter.
Stassin Audrey, 44, and Benayed Mohamed, 30, were sentenced to 25 years and 20 years in prison, respectively.
They were both found guilty last Friday of inflicting deliberate injuries and torture on Stassin's daughter.
Initially, prosecutors had called for 25-year terms each. Judges and jurors found no mitigating circumstances for either defendant.
The abuse took place in Marchienne-au-Pont between December 2022 and May 2023. On 29 May 2023, the child was discovered in the flat with first and second-degree burns across much of her body. Forensic experts said the thermal or liquid burns caused extreme pain.
Judges cited Stassin's indifference and said she prioritised alcohol and drug addictions over her daughter's health. They found her explanations incompatible with medical evidence.
Benayed, who was staying illegally in Belgium and had formed a bond with the victim, was also deemed to have had a duty to protect her. Instead, the court found he inflicted gratuitous violence.
Throughout the trial, each defendant blamed the other.
