A woman was jailed for two years yesterday after she was found guilty of repeatedly beating her five-month-old daughter.

The child suffered fractures to, among other places, her ribs, both legs and her arm.

The woman, who cannot be named by court order, did not suffer from any mental condition or post-natal depression and therefore, the court said, was fully aware of what she was doing to her child. The woman, however, suffered from chronic tension headaches.

The court heard that in February 2000 the child was first admitted to the Floriana Health Centre after her mother noticed that the child’s legs were red and looked swollen.

The doctors at the health centre referred the child to St Luke’s Hospital where she was examined by several doctors and consultants.

The latter concluded that the child had suffered multiple fractures to several parts of her body. They said she had fractured ribs arms and legs.

The doctors said the child’s severe wounds were not fresh and “non-accidental injuries”. They said the injuries the child had sustained could be associated with child battery and abuse.

A psychologist who assessed the mother said she was not credible person because she lied to her on several occasions. She said the woman had been abused by her parents when she was young and recommended the child is taken in care. She told the court the woman had another two children to look after.

Handing down judgment, magistrate Abigail Lofaro said the woman’s actions could not be condoned because she had repeatedly hurt her innocent daughter who, in turn, could not defend herself.

She quoted part of the woman’s statement in which she admitted that she could have hurt her daughter when she had severe headaches and she could not remember hitting her child.

She admitted that on one occasion she got hold of her daughter and slammed her against the bed’s headboard.

The magistrate said that while she believed that a prison sentence would be the best punishment for the mother, the court could not forget that she had another two children to raise and look after.

She therefore applied a provision in the law for a lesser punishment and jailed the woman for two years.

Police inspectors Mario Tonna and Louise Vella prosecuted.