A mother from Cheshire, England, has been sentenced to seven years and six months in prison after keeping her baby daughter hidden in a drawer under a bed for the first three years of her life. The child, who had been concealed from family and friends, was discovered in February 2023.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced on November 26 at Chester Crown Court. She had pleaded guilty to multiple charges of child cruelty earlier in October. Reports indicate that the baby girl was fed through a syringe and was often left alone for long periods while being kept hidden.
Authorities revealed that the charges relate to incidents that took place between March 2020 and February 2023. The baby girl was found in distressing conditions, severely malnourished and underdeveloped, and immediately taken into care.
Police announced that the child had never been registered at birth and had spent most of her life hidden in a bedroom. The investigation was prompted when the mother’s partner, who was restricted from going upstairs, heard the sounds of a baby while using the bathroom. Upon following the noise, he found the almost three-year-old girl in a drawer, showing signs of neglect including unkempt hair and malnourishment.
When authorities examined the child, they found that she could not crawl, walk, or speak and had never received medical attention for her untreated cleft palate. At 35 months, her development was comparable to that of a 10-month-old. A social worker at the scene expressed shock over the neglect, noting the mother’s lack of emotion regarding her daughter’s situation.
Detective Constable Rachel Di Nicola commented on the case, stating that the suffering the child endured is unimaginable, and questioned how anyone could allow such neglect. Senior Crown Prosecutor Rachel Worthington emphasized the extreme neglect of the child’s health and basic needs, noting she had never celebrated a birthday or Christmas and had no interaction with other siblings.
After being rescued, the child has been making progress and has undergone surgery to address her cleft palate, though further operations are still needed.
