Mother
A mother has been sentenced to over seven years in prison after her three-year-old daughter was discovered severely malnourished and hidden in a drawer beneath her bed.
The child, who had never been exposed to daylight or another human face, was found in February 2023 in Cheshire, in a case that shocked authorities and the public alike.
The discovery was made accidentally when the woman’s partner, while using the bathroom, heard noises that sounded like a baby.
Investigating further, he found the child confined in a drawer, her hair matted, and her body dehydrated. Alarmed by her condition, he immediately contacted the police.
Born secretly in March 2020, the little girl had spent her entire life confined in the drawer. Her mother admitted in court that the child had never been allowed outside or seen another person.
A social worker who witnessed the scene described the girl rocking back and forth inside the drawer, a harrowing sight that left them deeply disturbed.
Medical evaluations revealed the extent of the neglect. The girl, born with a cleft palate, was developmentally comparable to a 10-month-old infant.
She could not walk, crawl, or speak, and suffered from muscle atrophy, poor muscle tone, and swollen feet.
In court, the mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed she hid her daughter to keep her existence a secret from the child’s abusive father.
She admitted to leaving the child alone in the drawer during work or family visits, including Christmas Eve. Sporadically fed with milky Weetabix through a syringe, the child endured prolonged starvation and isolation.
The girl has since been placed in foster care, where she is experiencing milestones for the first time, including walking, smiling, and celebrating Christmas. Her carer described the bittersweet process of helping her recover from the neglect.
The judge, Steven Everett, condemned the mother’s actions as “wicked beyond belief.” He described the girl’s confinement as “a living death,” highlighting the catastrophic physical and emotional harm caused by her mother’s failure to provide basic care, medical attention, or love.
“This child has never known the joy of a birthday, a Christmas, or the warmth of family interaction,” said Rachel Worthington, senior prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire.
The mother’s sentence reflects the gravity of the suffering inflicted on a child who, despite her horrific start in life, is now beginning to heal and find joy in her new environment.
