A former couple in the UK has been sentenced to jail after their two-year-old daughter suffered a brain injury in a dog attack. The incident occurred in 2018 in Bradford, where the girl was left alone with a German Shepherd that had recently given birth to puppies while her parents were upstairs. The girl sustained multiple injuries, including skull fractures and brain bleeding. The woman delayed calling the police for eight minutes after the attack, and her ex-partner had disregarded a previous warning not to leave the child alone with the dog.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the girl underwent significant surgery to address the brain bleed. Additionally, doctors discovered bruises on her shoulders, back, legs, and arms that were unrelated to the dog attack. The woman pleaded guilty to two charges of child cruelty and received an 18-month prison sentence, while her ex-partner was sentenced to a year in jail.
During the trial, it was revealed that a family key worker had previously cautioned the mother about leaving the dogs unattended with the children. Despite this warning, the German Shepherd mauled the child while she was left alone downstairs by the man.
When police visited the couple’s residence, they discovered a messy and unclean environment with a strong smell of urine. It was also revealed that both individuals had consumed cocaine and amphetamine while caring for their children. Prosecutors argued that they had neglected their parental responsibilities by using drugs.
While delivering the sentence, Recorder Patrick Palmer stated, “You failed to stay with [the child] when there were those dogs in the house and you failed to protect her from them. Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate imprisonment.” The dog involved in the attack was subsequently euthanized.
