Mother in England sentenced for hiding daughter in drawer for three years

A British court sentenced a woman to seven and a half years in prison for hiding her infant daughter in a drawer beneath her bed for nearly three years.

The ruling was issued at Chester Crown Court in northwest England, where the judge described the child’s suffering, discovered just weeks before her third birthday, as a "living death" stemming from a "horrific secret" kept by her mother.

The unnamed child was found in a tragic condition inside the family home in Cheshire, suffering from tangled hair, rashes, and physical deformities.

According to PA Media, the court heard that the mother had concealed the infant from her partner, who regularly stayed at the home, as well as from her other children.

Judge Steven Everett, who presided over the case, stated that the mother’s actions defied logic, depriving the child of "any love or affection or basic medical care."

He emphasized that the child lacked everything: "proper nutrition, interaction with others, and essential care." The judge noted that the discovery of the situation was accidental and had catastrophic physical and psychological consequences for the child.

Now in foster care, the child has begun to show slow improvement. The judge remarked that she is "a bright little girl who may return to life after experiencing conditions resembling a living death."

Upon her hospitalization, it was determined that she was suffering from severe malnutrition and dehydration, having been fed only milk-based cereal through a syringe.

The court learned that the child was kept in the drawer nearly all the time and was left alone when her mother was out working or taking her other children to school, or visiting relatives.

The situation came to light when the mother’s partner entered the home one day and heard noises coming from the bedroom, eventually discovering the child in the drawer. When confronted, the mother displayed "indifference" and complete disregard for the situation.

During the investigation, the mother admitted she was unaware of her pregnancy and was "very scared" of giving birth.

In her statements, she claimed that the drawer was not always closed and that the child "was not part of the family."

Regarding the other children, the court confirmed that they were receiving good care but no longer lived with their mother.

The defense lawyer noted that the woman’s circumstances were exceptional, highlighting the severe psychological pressure she faced due to her troubled relationship with the abusive father of the child, compounded by the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.