The kindergarten was worried about the little boy’s bruise – Then the child asked a chilling question – 2024-02-14 15:33:28

The trial of the violent death of a 4-year-old child continues today for the third day in the district court of North Karelia. Three witnesses, a forensic doctor and two early childhood education workers are scheduled to be heard in court today.

The daycare workers had taken care of the 4-year-old boy before his death. At least one of them has witnessed how a mother screamed at a small child who wanted to be held.

Iltalehti reported on Tuesday that the kindergarten tried to call child welfare just two days before the boy’s death. However, the social service did not have time to return to the call request.

The 4-year-old boy had a child protection contract. The child was placed outside his home for a month earlier that spring. From the beginning of June, child welfare eased the family’s support measures. A week later, the child was found dead in his bed.

Iltalehti follows the trial in the text tracking below. The trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Who took care of the child?

In her messages, the mother had told the father that he was torturing and bullying the child. In court, he appealed to sharp language when he got angry, and did not mean the things he wrote.

A 4-year-old boy was found dead in his bed on June 8. The lifeless child was found by her stepfather, who had been in sole charge of the child for a few hours the previous day. During that time, the child suffered extensive burns, especially on the face and neck area.

According to the prosecutor, the stepfather caused the burns with a steam mop. The stepfather himself says that he used the child in the shower, which was too hot.

As a result of the burns, the child developed a high fever of around 39 degrees, which the mother says she treated with a crushed antipyretic tablet and later with the liquid Panadol painkiller intended for children.

The child was left alone in his own room for the night, and probably no one came to check on the little boy. According to the mother, the stepfather still gave water and medicine to the child at night, but according to the stepfather, he no longer visited the child at night. During the night, the stepfather concentrated on communicating about drug deals. According to the prosecutor, he was probably still awake when the child, who was in severe pain, died.

Other injuries

The prosecutor demands a verdict for the father for murder and for the mother for manslaughter. According to the prosecutor, the child was abused for several days even before the burns occurred. The child had several bruises and, in addition, serious internal injuries that indicate external violence.

So far, it has not been clarified who caused the child’s serious internal injuries. In the medical examiner’s opinion, it has been stated that the injuries could not have been caused by, for example, falls.

At the trial, the mother explained the child’s injuries by saying that the child was lively and fell, for example, on a three-wheeled children’s kickboard indoors.

According to the mother, she did not see any falls during the days before the death, but the child was with her stepfather. The stepfather, on the other hand, told the preliminary investigation that the child had killed himself while he was with the mother. The stepfather did not want to be heard during the trial.