Parents Jailed For 14 Years For "Savage Abuse" Of Daughter

Monday, 7 March 2022 16:45

By Caoimhe Harney

The girl was left brain damaged as a result of the abuse.

The parents of a young girl who was left brain damaged as a result of what a judge described as their "savage abuse" of her have been jailed for fourteen years.

Their trial heard they believed she was possessed by an evil spirit.

The couple, who are in their late 30s, moved to Ireland from north Africa just over ten years ago.

They can’t be named to protect the girl’s identity.

Their trial heard harrowing details of how they regularly beat their then 9 year old daughter.

They used belts and stick to beat her, often punched and bit her and subjected her to a distressing level of cruelty.

They tried to justify what they did to her by claiming she was possessed by an evil spirit.

Her father said he performed a ritual to try and get the devil to leave her body

The girl is now in a care centre. She can’t walk, talk or sit on her own.

Judge Martin Nolan described what they did to her as “savage.” He said there was no excuse or defence for what they did.

Both were jailed today for 14 years.

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