The public prosecutor’s office accused the family, who was tried yesterday at the Graz regional court, of “not giving the child enough fluids” after being discharged from the hospital.
The boy died four weeks after birth, weighing about half a kilo less than when he was born. “The condition must have developed over several days,” the prosecutor was convinced, saying that the bad condition was “noticeable for any person normally entrusted with an infant”. The defense attorneys for the parents and grandmother saw things quite differently. All three defendants pleaded not guilty. There is no causal connection with the death of the child.
The reviewers agreed, however: the baby died of heart failure after becoming dehydrated. The poor nutritional status of the boy “should have noticed the parents”.
The judge dismissed further applications for evidence and requests for expert opinions from the defense and sentenced the mother to nine months in prison, which she will be granted conditionally for the time being. The grandmother was sentenced to seven months in prison, also conditionally.
Source: Nachrichten
