After her previous wife left, a German man's revenge plot included inflicting pain through a mercury injection on their infant child.
In a recent verdict, a 30-year-old father received 13 years imprisonment as a sentence for the grievous act of injecting mercury into his 1-year-old daughter's foot, an act deemed attempted murder by the court.
Alongside him, his girlfriend, aged 34, was also sentenced to 12 years in prison for her involvement in the crime.
German Father Poisons Baby Daughter with Mercury Injection
As per reports from a German news agency, the man hails from Springe, a small town near Hannover, and harbored feelings of vengeance towards the child's mother, who departed shortly after their daughter's birth.
The legal documents indicate that both the father and his new partner were aware that the toxin wouldn't result in an immediate fatality but aimed to cause severe agony to the toddler.
Following the injection, the child developed a serious foot infection and a widespread rash across her body. The presence of mercury was fortuitously discovered during a subsequent surgical procedure linked to the poisoning.
Initially, both the father and his 34-year-old partner refuted the allegations in court but later confessed to jointly administering the mercury into the child's foot and ankle in July of the previous year. The source of the liquid mercury remains undisclosed.
The defendants possess the right to contest the verdict, and the identities of those involved, in adherence to German privacy protocols, have not been divulged.
As reported by The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the father and his co-defendant initially denied charges of attempted murder but were ultimately convicted on April 10 by a Hannover court. Their admission to injecting mercury into the child's foot and ankle came later during legal proceedings.
As cited by the Associated Press from dpa, the motive behind this act was the father's desire for retribution against his ex-partner following their separation after their child's birth.
Harmful Side Effects of Lead Poisoning
The attorney representing the child highlighted the potential long-term repercussions of mercury exposure, including paralysis, speech difficulties, and cognitive impairments. The lawyer criticized the father's apology as insincere, referring to it as "empty words" that fail to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.
Expressing profound concern for the innocent lives affected, the attorney emphasized the severity of the incident, denouncing it as sheer contempt for a vulnerable individual.
As a result of the mercury injection, the child suffered a severe rash and developed an infection, with medical professionals discovering the poison during subsequent surgeries.
In a broader context, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight the dangers of lead exposure, noting that lead, whether in paint, soil, air, water, food, cosmetics, medications, toys, or consumer goods, is imperceptible and lacks a distinct odor.
Exposure to lead poses significant risks to children's health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, hindered growth and development, learning difficulties, behavioral issues, and potential hearing and speech impairments.
When children experience severe lead poisoning, doctors may recommend a treatment called chelation to help remove the lead from their bloodstream.
This process involves using medication designed to extract lead from the blood. The type and frequency of chelation treatment depend on two things: how much lead is in the child's body and how well they respond to the medication.
