Three-year-old in coma – mother and stepfather charged for violence
A three-year-old girl is in a coma at St. Olavs Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The police have arrested and charged the mother and stepfather for violence.
“The child has critical life-threatening head injuries and is in a coma at St. Olav Hospital,” says Svenn Ingar Viken, sheriff in Namsos and Fosnes municipality, at a press conference held by the police Tuesday evening.
The police were notified by the child care unit on Monday that a little girl was hospitalized with suspicious injuries.
Three year old mother and stepfather are in police custody and charged with severe bodily injury. The police will detain both.
– The stepfather will be brought to court for detention at Inntrøndelag District Court Wednesday at 2 pm. The mother will be brought to court pending detention on Thursday, says lawyer for the police, Amund Sand.
Fell out of the bed
The mother’s lawyer, Torfinn Svanem, states that the mother is unable to comprehend what has happened and denies culpability to the indictment. He says she explained that the girl was injured when she fell out of her bed. According to the mother’s lawyer, the three-year-old also sustained an injury earlier after falling from a balcony, according to NRK.
Anders Kjøren, who is attorney for the stepfather, tells Dagbladet that his client does not acknowledge any culpability.
– I had a chat with him yesterday. He does not omprehend the charges against him, and does not acknowledge any form of violence, says Kjøren.
The girl’s mother and stepfather are according to the police of foreign origin. The Stepfather, who is in his thirties, has a residence permit in Italy and the mother, who is her twenties, has a three years temporary residence permit in Norway.
Doctor sounded the alarm
His stepfather’s lawyer informs that he* alerted the Alarm Central when he believed that the child was in need of medical care. According to what Kjøren comprehends, the ambulance arrived at the family’s home. When the child was brought to the hospital, the doctor reported about suspected violence.
– It was the Child Welfare Office who contacted the police after the doctor who received the child raised the alarm and suspected that she had been exposed to violence. The child was then sent to St. Olavs hospital with critical life-threatening injuries, Hege Marie Vikaune reported in a press release. Vikaune is Communication counselor in the North-Trøndelag Police District.
The 3-year-old girl will be appointed a support lawyer, police attorney Sand confirms towards NTB.
NCIS is involved
There is an investigation group instigated for the case. NCIS (Kripos) will assist from Wednesday onwards.
– Kripos is involved and will assist in the investigation. The police handles the case in cooperation with the police’s child and family team, Vikaune says.
Three other children live with her mother and stepfather of the critically injured girl. They are minors and are therefore taken care of by the municipality’s crisis team.
*[presumably the stepfather – editors notice ]
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
