BVI News

Father hits 6yo in eye for defacing wall, court hears

Not the belt mentioned in the story.

A father has been hauled before the Magistrate’s Court after he allegedly caused his six-year-old daughter to lose sight in her left eye while disciplining her for defacing the walls of their home.

The Spooner’s Estate resident is facing charges of cruelty to a child and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The accused man’s name is being withheld to protect the identity of the child.

He was not required to plead when he appeared before Magistrate Shawn Innocent on Monday.

It is alleged that sometime before February 2 of this year, the minor along with her other siblings used markers to deface the walls of their home.

Using a belt, the father allegedly ‘disciplined’ his children who were scurrying about the house in an attempt to hide from his blows.

It was during that time that his daughter was struck with the belt in her left eye.

It is reported that the child went to school sometime after and a teacher saw the injuries and reported the matter to the principal, who then informed the Social Development Department and the police.

The child was subsequently taken to the Peebles Hospital for a medical examination.

A medical report of her injuries revealed that the child’s pupil appeared to be ‘dilated’ and she ‘was unable to see in her left eye’ at the time.

The father was subsequently charged.

The Crown did not object to bail and during his court appearance this week. As such, he was granted bail in the amount of $20,000.

The court was told that the child still resides with her father and the rest of her family.

The matter was adjourned to December 4.

Attorney-at-law Stephen Daniels is representing the accused man.

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33 Comments

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  1. WTF? says:

    What the h**l is wrong with some of these people?! Seriously, who the heck beats a child with the belt buckle side of a belt?

    Like 31
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    • wow says:

      It was a accident the father was running behind the child to discipline and he accidentally hit her with the belt..we as adults need to stop being one side .growing up we get blows from all kinds of things and we learn from it ..

      Like 14
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  2. Lily Ann says:

    Thats why its good to catch a good breath b4 disciplining kids .. because RAGE is a boss !!!

    Like 46
    Dislike 3
  3. Universe's Greatest Dad says:

    My God….As a father this shattered my heart. I don’t cry easily- these tears I can’t hold back.

    Like 36
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  4. Miss says:

    This is so heartbreaking!!

    Like 23
    Dislike 1
  5. Morning Chant says:

    So Sad

    Mother of 5 beautiful children- https://youtu.be/GcXS4QLTF-8

  6. Concern says:

    The father did not beat the child with the belt buckle …that is just the picture the media used for their story…please get the right story before u start spreading rumors

    Like 14
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    • Huh? says:

      You saying this is fake news?

      Like 4
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      • Read carefully says:

        It doesn’t have to be fake news. It states that as he was beating the kids the belt caught her eye.

        Like 12
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        • Easy Parents says:

          Now as a big man and with his anger, he was surely enraged, so you know that child suffered much. Parents, cool down, count from 1 to 10 or 1 to 20. Surely that wall could have been repainted or washed off. My kids did worse and I just spoke with them. Took them to the scene and told them how important it is not to write on or crayon on the walls. Even had one scrub the walls before, but certainly not hit them. Kids around that age universally are the same and WILL mark up/write on walls. Parents who chose to discipline like that ought to be careful not to injure the child/children as accidents do happen, then what. It is best not to spank, particularly when you are upset.

          In my opinion, there is a very thin line between spanking and abuse. Tears for the children who suffer abuse as a result of spanking.

          Like 7
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  7. Gerance P. says:

    Horrible story. 6 years old. With the buckle no less!

    Like 9
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  8. Vex says:

    If I was an attorney I would not ever represent a piece of sh*t like him. How can you do that to a child over material things. I guess hurricane Maria and Irma did not teach some people anything about how meaningless vanity is!

    Like 20
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  9. Sad says:

    Pleaseeeeee mention the name of the father so that we can whoop is assssssss!

    Like 17
    Dislike 6
  10. Examples says:

    If we want widespread domestic violence to reduce, we need to come down hard on the perpetrators. Tough sentences are required. Corporal punishment in these matters seems justifiable. We also need support and education for parents as well as more skilled folks in schools although here, thank you to the school for acting on this and I hear you that any discipline you do hand out, gets reversed by the Minister.

    And Sharon ——– – is she still here? Expats with convictions are not supposed to enjoy entry to these islands. People who abuse two year-olds certainly not.

    Like 8
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  11. Huh says:

    Yes ITS FAKE NEWS

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  12. Savage Garden says:

    I don’t know the parties involved but was brought to tears. As a mother of 4 (2 young adults an 2 minors) I can not wrap my brain around this story today.

    Is this a case where a material thing took precedent over a living human being?

    Is there a change that surgery may help her to regain her sight? I am willing to donate.

    Like 7
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  13. BLESSED says:

    God Be with the Family… God Bless the little one.

  14. Religious training says:

    Caribbean parents are religious people, as such this kind of parenting is very common in Christian households. Bible fanatics often go to drastic means to get children to behave in strict terms. This will not change here in the islands anytime soon.

    I really hope the child is able to recover and see again, as perfect as before. Parents don’t let anger get the best of you, obviously the Bible never did any good for you.

    Try other ways to be informed and solve problems.

    Like 7
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  15. @ Concern says:

    Interpretation , despite what is written is most often skewed by an inability to comprehend the printed word followed by and with dysfunctional programmed notions.

    As unfortunate as the situation is for child and father, no where in that article is there any implication or reference that the buckle was used as the discipline instrument.

    Thanks for pointing out.

    Meanwhile, in my day, myself and all children i grew up with parents would be in jail all now on account of strict discipline and mis-directions of their chosen discipline instrument. Like a “slip tongue,” it sometimes happen. Most times real intentional hram was never the intent.

    Discipline has it purpose and most often produces desired behaviours, but it must be administered carefully, wisely and well controlled, with calm directed intentions when being administered. Do not discipline when enraged.

    In today’s world view and sensibilities, that is now categorised as “abuse.”

    Like 4
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  16. Concern says:

    First of all, the news site needs to get their facts straight before they go ahead and post the wrong information. The child is not blind nor was the child hit with the buckle of the belt. what kind or reporters goes around posting wrong information. Check you sources again for the right information.

    Like 6
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  17. Really! says:

    You all just on here casting judgement< judge not least you be judged with the same measure you judge with.

    Clearly no one is reading and understanding, reading is fundamental. The article states, "Using a belt, the father allegedly ‘disciplined’ his children who were scurrying about the house in an attempt to hide from his blows"

    Have you ever tried to beat a child or children who is moving around while getting licks. I don't think it was intentional, it was a fatal unfortunate accident. I won't call it abuse either.

    I'm not condoning what happened, but we have to weigh things out before we get on the blogs tearing down this father and not know the entire story.

    I agree spare the rod and spoil the child. I am pretty sure those kids knew better. I could imagine he must have been angry after seeing the defaced wall and agree that he should have waited before disciplining them and do it one at a time and lash them in the hands

    Like 4
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  18. Come on!! says:

    I do not condone what has happened. It is indeed an awful this and this small child will grow up with this physical defect for the rest of her life which yes was caused by her parent. It is indeed sad. But most of us who are parents have spanked our children and unfortunately, as the story states, while the kids – not one of them but several it appears – the children were scurrying to hid from the “blows”, is when the child got hit in her eye with the buckle. As a parent, I do not think it was intentional in anyway on the part of the father, not do I believe he was hitting the kids with the buckle. Unfortunate accidents do happen. And I am sure that father is punished every single day when he looks at his child and see the outcome at the hands of himself. It is just a very sad story, very heartbreaking, but there are other untold stories out there. We see people every day who has impairments that we walk right pass and don’t stop to hear their story….if we only knew their story or stories, we may be tempted to want to react. But as it stands, let us therefore offer support to those who falls victim to these kinds of situations.

    Like 4
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  19. Smh says:

    Read to understand please before starting any assumptions. No where in this story did it say the child got hit with a belt buckle. Stop adding fuel to the fire. I don’t think it was right for him to hit the child in the eye. The child was probably getting beat and like many of us when we got licks went down to the floor. If it was intentional then by all mean go whoop his asssssss. But don’t say what the story didn’t say, that’s how FAKE RUMORS get started.

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  20. Sigh says:

    No where did it say that the child was beaten with a belt buckle. Another thing the child is not blind. Sometimes individuals tend to criticize everything because it is not them. If beating a child is abuse and parents need to be punish and thrown in jail let’s be real MAJORITY OF THE PARENTS WILL BE THROWN IN JAIL. In my day in that age my mother beat me with whip, pot, broom stick and even a telephone wire. If u don’t know that full story don’t be quick to judge. It’s unfortunate that the child got hit in the eye. When I use to get licks I would run from the beating and roll all over the floor.so mistakes can happen…it’s unfortunate but it happened..

    Like 5
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  21. WHY says:

    WHY ARE YOU LETTING THESE MEN BEAT YOUR DAUGHTERS ? YET THEY OUT THERE BEING SWEET TO OTHER WOMEN . I WISH ANY WOULD TRY AND BEAT MY DELICATE GIRL .

    Like 7
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  22. I want to know says:

    Some of you are here trying to justify or condemn whether the father used the belt buckle and missed the real tragedy. From what i read it seems that despite the apparent injury no medical attention was sought by the parents for the child. It was only when the child went to school and the keen observation by the teacher the child was able to get medical attention. One can only imagine the pain that the child endured. To me that is the real tragedy and the making of a monster. Just like the man that didn’t remember his child in a hot car for eight hours this man cruelty to his child in the disguise of discipline cannot be over look.

    Like 7
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    • Excuse me says:

      You don’t know what the parents of the child did! How do you know the child have not seen a doctor or doctors before the school did anything? how do you know the child eyes wasn’t dealt with by the parents? You hear one side of the story…STOP BEING SO QUICK TO JUDGE!!!!!

      Like 2
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    • Stop! says:

      That is NOT true. The teacher questioned the child then made the report to head of school, who then called and reported it to child services. You do NOT know what the parents did or sort for their child and no way in the case did you read that the parents did absolutely nothing but left child to suffer. Stop putting more to what is not factual. STOP!!

      Like 6
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  23. Anonymous says:

    In the VI the concept of tragedy when applied to the mistreatment and abuse of infants and children is nonexistent.
    Children are treated worse than dogs.
    Be reminded of the case approx one week ago where a teacher influvted 11 plus lashes on a 2 year old infanteith resulting physical wounds and mental trauma
    The perpetrator foreigner continues to be employed at the scene of the crime inder work permit and the identity and location pf the school withheld leaving unsuspecting parents to enroll their child in an unsafe environment.
    A dog owners mame and identity would have been publicised with ensuing outrage from animal groups.

    Like 9
    Dislike 5
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