Baby-assault case shows abuse not confined to history: ISPCC

The ISPCC has said a recent case of horrific abuse inflicted on a 10-month-old baby should serve as a reminder to people that abuse is still a current issue and not just an historical event.

The comments come after a man was jailed in Ennis Circuit Court for three years after a court heard he slapped, kicked, punched and threw a 10-month-old baby around "as if he was a toy".

Larry Connors pleaded guilty to the assault on the child. The baby was treated in A and E for two broken arms, a dislocated elbow, a significant brain bleed, a bite mark, a burn mark from an iron and multiple bruising. The injuries were inflicted over a three-week period.

Connors, aged 20, from Cronan Lawn, Shannon, Co Clare, was jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to cruelty of the baby on dates between Dec 15, 2010, and Jan 3 last year.

Consultant paediatrician at Mid-West Regional Hospital in Limerick, Dr Siobhán Gallagher, who treated the baby, had noted: "These injuries are severe and significant and have caused extreme pain at the time that they occurred."

The ISPCC said the case highlighted the fact that abuse still needs to be addressed to ensure that children are protected.