Child allegedly beaten with cable over homework

A mother of three, who tried to have a criminal case against her brother thrown out of court, had her request denied by a senior parish judge in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.

The woman, who attended court on behalf of the complainant, her 10-year-old daughter, informed Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell that she wanted to end the matter against her brother, Marlon Gilette, who has been assisting her with her children. According to the woman, the children's fathers are not around.

"I am under a duty to protect that child. That child must not grow up and say the idiot judge throw out the case and my uncle continue to abuse me, that must not be said," the judge said. "So, because he is helping with the children, it means that he has liberty to abuse them? Madam, get on the PATH programme, do not hold yourself to the mercy of another man."

The court was told that Gilette flogged the complainant on her hand and back with a cable wire. The medical report states that the child sustained trauma to the right ear and there was swelling on her back. It is alleged that Gilette flogged the child because she did not complete her homework. He was subsequently charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of cruelty to a child. Judge Burrell insisted that she was not trying to "mash up any family", and opined that the uncle has an interest in the complainant excelling academically.

She ordered that the complainant attend the victim support unit and that the accused be referred to the probation department. The child is to return to the doctor for an updated medical examination and the reports from the probation department and victim support unit are to be available for the next court date on July 23.