Childminder jailed – for assaulting babies

REGISTERED CHILDMINDER Anouska Coleman, 37, of Lancing Road, Romford, will spend Christmas contemplating the prospect of spending the next 16 years in prison.

She had been found guilty, on 6th October, at Basildon Crown Court, of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent arising out of assaults made on two baby girls, one nine months old, the other seven months.

Last week Coleman returned to Court for sentencing. She was sentenced to seven years in prison for the attack on the nine month old baby and nine years for the attack on the younger baby. The sentences will run consecutively – leaving her facing up to 16 years in prison.

The seven month old baby was in the care of Coleman in her capacity as a registered childminder. On the afternoon of 16th March 2015, Coleman called the emergency services, stating that a baby in her care had become unresponsive. The baby was taken straight to hospital, where it was found that she had suffered a bleed on the brain. Medical opinion was that the bleed had been caused by the baby suffering an impact, and possibly being shaken – and Coleman was charged.

Police looked into Coleman’s history and the Metropolitan Police Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) reviewed the case of a nine month old baby who had suffered a broken leg while in Coleman’s care. At the time, Coleman had not been charged on the basis that there was not enough evidence to prosecute – but after the second incident came to light, Coleman was charged in the first case too.

Speaking on the day the sentences were announced, Detective Chief Inspector Keith Paterson of the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command said, “The parents of these two baby girls put their trust in Coleman to look after them and she abused that trust in the most awful way. The lives of the girls and their families have been hugely impacted and the girls will carry the scars of the injuries they have sustained at Coleman’s hands through the rest of their lives.

“We may never really know how or why Coleman injured these defenceless babies, but ultimately she caused their injuries and must now face the consequences of her actions. I only hope that today’s sentence can give a small measure of comfort to the families knowing that Coleman has been brought to justice for her terrible actions.”

The London Borough of Havering is reported to have conducted a Serious Case Review following the conviction and we have asked them for their comments.

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