Girl, 5, was beaten with a wooden spoon, denied food and had her head shaved by evil woman

WARNING: disturbing content

A five-year-old girl was repeatedly beaten with a wooden spoon, denied food, called ‘stupid’ and ‘creepy’ and even had her head shaved by a woman who cared for her in a pattern of ‘reprehensible’ abuse.

Horrific details of the cruelty to the child were revealed during her sentencing in the Brisbane District Court on Wednesday.

Chillingly, the court was told it was not the first time the mother had committed similar offences.

Despite this, the woman had not subjected other children in her household to the same kind of abuse as the young girl during the same period.

“There is no real explanation for the circumstances that bring you here,” Chief Judge Brian Devereaux said during his sentencing remarks.

The woman pleaded guilty to a single charge of cruelty to a child and several other counts of assault causing bodily harm while armed and common assault.

Her abuse of the child lasted from February until the end of May 2022, Attorney General Zach Kaplan told the court.

The court was told that the girl, who is not one of the woman’s biological children, was repeatedly beaten with a wooden spoon, leaving bruises and scars, while she was denied food and meals while the other children ate.

Mr Kaplan said the child came into the woman’s care through a mutual friend in January 2022 following an incident at another home.

He said the woman psychologically abused the girl, calling her a “creepy creature” and saying she was “stupid,” in addition to the physical abuse.

The court was told that Child Safety became involved with concerns about the girl’s welfare.

The child’s head was shaved when she was returned to her biological parents in May 2022.

“Instead of trying to improve or help the child in any way, (her) response was to shave the child’s head because she had nits,” Kaplan said.

When she was taken to the hospital, the child had bruises on her face and legs, was thin and walked with a limp while complaining of hunger.

One wound included a 1.5cm scar on her scalp after the woman hit her with a wooden spoon, along with a bruised eye after the child was hit in the face.

Without Child Safety’s intervention, the consequences could have been much more serious, the court was told.

“This is reprehensible behavior,” Kaplan said.

“She poses a risk not only to children of her own biological bloodline, but to all children she comes into contact with.”

Nicholas Brown, the woman’s lawyer, said his client had complied with the conditions of her bail, which included not having contact with her own children.

He said his client adopted the child from her friend with “good intentions” but found it difficult to deal with the child.

Mr Brown said the scenario became “too much” for the woman with other children at home.

“She has since tried in her own way to show remorse for her behavior by complying with the conditions of her bail and supporting her family both financially and emotionally,” he said.

“And (by) showing the outside community in a different way that she can be a good mother.”

There is no evidence that any of the woman’s other children were victims of abuse.

Judge Devereaux imposed a main sentence of three years in prison, making the woman eligible for parole in January next year.