Mom charged for burning son with flat iron

A mother has been slapped with child-cruelty charges after allegedly burning her eight-year-old son with a flat iron.

A police team on patrol in Kingston on Sunday responded to the father’s desperate plea to intervene after the injuries were discovered.

The boy was reportedly burnt twice, once on his right arm, for allegedly lying about missing thread.

The thread in question was used by the child earlier in the day to fly a kite, The Gleaner has been told.

That, however, did not sit well with his mother, whose name is withheld to protect the identity of the child.

She has since been charged with cruelty to a child and will have her day in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on March 8.

A senior policeman with knowledge of the investigation told The Gleaner officers visited the mother, who lives next door.

“She was transported to Hunts Bay sometime after 9 p.m. where she was subsequently charged,” he said.

Reports from the police are that the incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day.

The child received medical treatment and has been precautionarily placed in the care of another family member until the court formally rules on the matter.

The police told our news team that according to the father, this was not the first incident of this nature between his son and the child’s mother.

Residents of the Maxfield Avenue community, where the incident unfolded, are also disturbed by the actions of the mother.

“I hope she gets some help. It’s a very serious offence, and in these times, children need the best care and protection they can get,” a resident, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, said.

Another resident lamented: “She can’t scar the child like that and think it’s OK… him probably ago live with the scars for life. I hope him grow it out still. I can imagine how the father feels. Hope she will learn from this and other parents will use it as example.”

The matter is being probed by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA).

Rochelle Dixon, CPFSA public relations and communications manager, told The Gleaner that the agency started its investigation on Tuesday.

“One of officers visited the location today (Tuesday). We didn’t see the child. ... Arrangements are being made to revisit the location on Wednesday.

The CPFSA said an assessment of the child will be conducted and counselling and other interventions pursued for the entire family.

That assistance may be extended to other children in the household.

The CPFSA is urging parents to use methods of discipline that do not cause physical or emotional harm.