Woman Committed Sex Abuse After Performing Sex Act on Herself with Baby Present
A judge has ruled that a woman committed sexual abuse after performing a sex act on herself while in the presence of a baby. The woman admitted to performing the sex act with the baby present on several occasions, and in at least one instance while holding him. The father of the child had also been present on at least one time but claims to have been unaware of what was taking place.
The family court judge, Judge Thomas Greensmith, determined that such behaviour could be defined as sexual abuse of a child, and fits with the definition set out by children’s charity the NSPCC.
The case was heard in a private family court hearing in Liverpool. The circumstances are unusual, as the couple were staying in an assessment centre. The couple and their baby were housed in the assessment centre after social workers raised concerns about how the child was being cared for in their home. The behaviour of the woman was captured on CCTV, and the couple were aware that CCTV was operating.
Judge Greensmith said:
“In my judgment, what the mother has done fits an appropriate definition of sexual abuse.
“The mother’s exposure of (the baby) to her sexual act… is in my judgment an instance where the mother failed to take proper measures to prevent (him) being exposed to sexual activity.
“Applying the NSPCC definition of sexual abuse, I find that the mother has sexually abused her child.
“This demonstrates, in my judgment, that the mother does not have an appropriate understanding of the effects exposure to sexual activity will have on a young child. I am satisfied that this was an act of sexual abuse on the part of the mother.”
The parents had previously been issued with a parenting assessment plan by social workers, following the social workers raising a number of concerns including the sex act. The couple also had a volatile relationship, which was sometimes ‘physical’ said the social work team.
Judge Greensmith said that the child should be removed from the care of the parents and adoption arrangements should be made for him. Several other children had also been taken from the couple as a result of previous family court proceedings in which it was discovered that the children had been abused by a relative who had been convicted of paedophilia.
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