The mother, who has not been named to protect the identity of the victim, received a sentence of seven years and six months in prison during a hearing in Cheshire. This sentencing followed a guilty plea to multiple charges, reflecting the severity of her actions and their impact on her child.

The charges included four counts related to child neglect, abandonment, and causing unnecessary suffering, as stated by local law enforcement. The gravity of these charges underscores the profound implications of her neglectful behavior toward her vulnerable infant.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the child was born in 2020 with a cleft palate. The mother reported that she gave birth in the shower at home, a situation that raises significant alarm regarding healthcare access and child safety.

?For reasons that the CPS could not determine, she chose to place her baby in a drawer within her divan bed and left her there,? stated a representative from CPS. ?She would occasionally return to feed the infant milky Weetabix using a syringe and change her diapers, indicating a severely inadequate level of care for a developing child.?

The mother reportedly continued her daily life, caring for her other children and maintaining her job, while the infant remained alone in the drawer for extended periods. Court documents revealed that she kept the existence of the child hidden from her other children and her partner, who sometimes stayed at her home, showcasing a pattern of deception and neglect.

The CPS reported that over time, the child?s development was severely stunted due to the lack of care, attention, and nutrition, alongside the restrictions imposed by a life spent in confinement. This neglect had profound effects on both the physical and mental health of the infant, who was deprived of essential nurturing.

The alarming situation was uncovered by the mother’s partner in February 2023, after he reportedly heard what he believed to be a child. This incident marked a critical turning point in the investigation, leading to the child’s rescue from her horrific circumstances.

?He had returned to the house to use the bathroom after the defendant had left her keys in the door. She typically did not allow him upstairs alone,? prosecutors noted. Upon entering, he found the child with matted hair and visibly malnourished, a sight that prompted immediate concern and action.

In a state of shock, he fled from the house and informed his mother about the horrifying conditions he had discovered. This led to the mother contacting the defendant’s own mother, triggering a swift response from law enforcement and social services.

A social worker who responded to the scene provided testimony in court, detailing the overwhelming horror they encountered in the home. Their observations highlighted the severity of the situation and the urgent need for intervention.

?Since March 2023, I have continually thought about the child and this case. My initial reactions upon entering the mother’s bedroom were disbelief,? they shared. ?Her mother walked around to the side of the bed, and I followed. I was shocked to see a child looking up at me, sitting in a divan drawer.?

?The child stared at me and was rocking back and forth. I looked at her mother and asked, ?Is this where you keep her?? The mother responded matter-of-factly, ?Yes, in the drawer,?? they continued. ?I was taken aback by the mother?s lack of emotion and her blasé attitude about the situation. I inquired whether anyone else had seen the child; the mother replied no.?

?It became a profound horror that I was likely the only other face the child had seen apart from her mother?s,? they concluded. ?Having been a social worker since 2006, I have never witnessed such an extreme case of blatant child neglect and cruelty. The mother exhibited no remorse or emotion, which I found extremely difficult to comprehend.?

According to prosecutors, the mother revealed to the police that she chose not to inform the child’s father about her pregnancy, citing her involvement in an abusive relationship. This decision ultimately led to a series of neglectful actions that endangered the child’s well-being.

Medical experts, as reported by the CPS, indicated that the child was unable to crawl, walk, talk, or produce any communicative sounds. Instead, she exhibited repetitive self-soothing behaviors, such as rocking, highlighting the severe effects of prolonged neglect. Additionally, the infant was deemed significantly malnourished, unkempt, dehydrated, and suffering from untreated medical conditions, including a cleft lip and palate.

Experts noted that the child?s development was comparable to that of a 10-month-old due to the extreme nature of neglect she had faced. This starkly illustrates the critical importance of early childhood care and the dire consequences of its absence.

Despite the traumatic beginnings, CPS reported that the child began to vocalize to seek adult comfort and cried to express her needs after being admitted to the hospital. She has since continued to make significant progress, although she requires further surgeries to address her cleft palate, reflecting ongoing challenges in her recovery.

During the recent sentencing hearing, Judge Steven Everett expressed that the mother?s actions were incomprehensible and ?completely defied belief.? His comments highlighted the severity of the case and the profound impact of the mother?s neglect on her child.

?You attempted to manage this situation as best as you could, but by sheer chance, your horrific secret was uncovered,? he reportedly stated. ?In my 46 years of experience, I do not recall a case as severe as this.?

Following the sentencing, Senior Crown Prosecutor Rachel Worthington remarked, ?After reviewing the evidence, I had to take a moment to process what I had read. This child has never received a birthday present, a Christmas gift, or any form of acknowledgment of special days. She has had no interaction with her siblings and had never seen daylight or fresh air, and she did not respond to her name when she was first discovered.?

?As a mother myself, I cannot fathom what this defendant has done or why,? she concluded, emphasizing the incomprehensible nature of the mother’s actions and the profound neglect experienced by the child.

If you are experiencing or witnessing child abuse, please reach out to the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.