Czech court sentences mother to eight years for infant abuse

A regional court in Ústí nad Labem has sentenced a 28-year-old Ukrainian woman to eight years in prison for the repeated and severe physical abuse of her infant daughter in Most, Czech Republic.

Medical experts testified that the child suffered multiple injuries over several weeks, including a fractured skull, broken ribs, and fractures to both arms and legs. The prosecution noted that the violence significantly impacted the child's psychomotor development. The defendant, who moved to the Czech Republic with her family due to the war in Ukraine, admitted to experiencing postpartum depression and an inability to bond with the child, describing her actions as uncontrollable aggression.

The judge emphasized the extreme brutality and repetitive nature of the attacks, noting that the crimes were only discovered because they were reported rather than being voluntarily disclosed. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered outpatient psychiatric treatment and mandated that the mother pay over one million Czech koruna in compensation to the child and medical insurance. The defendant, who had previously fled to Ukraine to avoid prosecution, has appealed the ruling.