Prosecutors seek harsher sentence for foster mother who killed two-year-old boy in her care

The Debrecen Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Appeals has called for a harsher sentence for a woman who killed a two-year-old boy entrusted to her care as a foster parent.

The defendant took responsibility for caring for two young children in December 2022. Within the first few days, she reported difficulties with the children’s behaviour. Later, however, she stated that the situation had improved and that she wished to continue raising them.

The two-year-old boy was difficult to manage and frequently had temper tantrums. On some occasions, he hurt himself or others. On February 23, 2023, after dinner, the woman attempted to take the boy into the house. When the child resisted, the defendant became irritated and, in a fit of anger, assaulted him while he was lying on the stairs.

The child became unwell, so the woman and her partner took him to an ambulance station. Despite receiving professional medical care, the boy could not be saved.

The Debrecen Regional Court sentenced the woman to seven years and six months in prison for murder committed against a person under the age of 14. She was also banned from public affairs for eight years and ruled ineligible for parole. In addition, the court permanently prohibited her from working as a foster parent or in any occupation involving the supervision or care of people under the age of 18.

Both the prosecution and the defendant and her defence lawyer appealed the ruling. The prosecution sought a harsher sentence, while the defence requested a different legal classification of the offence and a reduced penalty.

The Debrecen Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Appeals has maintained its appeal for a more severe sentence. It argued that the boy had been removed from his family to provide him with a safe environment that would support his development. The woman’s responsibility was to ensure that safety, but instead, in a sudden fit of anger, she took the child’s life.

In light of these circumstances, the prosecution considers a longer prison sentence under a stricter prison regime, together with a longer ban from public affairs, to be justified.

The Debrecen Court of Appeal will deliver the second-instance ruling.

(ugyeszseg.hu)