A farmer of Lowmans Leeward was expected to appear at the Family Court yesterday, after being arrested and charged with abusing a child.

Thotelyn Wilson, 60, appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday, February 26, charged with abusing and ill-treating a minor of the same address, likely to cause injuries to her health at Lowman’s Leeward, she being a child under her care and control.

The incident took place between on Monday, February 19, 2018 and Wilson came to the attention of the police when a video was circulated on social media, showing a child being repeatedly struck by a woman.

Investigations by SEARCHLIGHT revealed that the five-year-old girl had been living with Wilson for three years and was entrusted to her care by the child’s father, who is a farmer and occasionally gives money to Wilson to take care of his daughter. The child has been away from her mother since she was three months old. The child’s father has since removed the girl from Wilson’s care.

When Wilson appeared in court on Monday, she pleaded guilty to the charge and magistrate Rickie Burnett asked for a social inquiry report, which was not available.

The report not being available, Burnett said he could not make an informed decision because, without the report, the investigations were incomplete.

Going further, the magistrate said the information presented by the prosecution spoke of the child receiving an excessive beating, but the medical forms he had before him did not paint that picture.

After consideration, Burnett transferred the case to the Family Court. The media is blocked from proceedings at the Family Court.