UK mother jailed for hiding daughter in drawer for years

A shocking case of child abuse occurred in the United Kingdom. A mother hid her daughter in a drawer under the bed for several years. The court showed no mercy and sentenced her to seven and a half years in prison.

According to the PA agency, the child was found just before her third birthday in a terrible condition—with dull hair, deformities, and rashes.

The mother hid her from her siblings and partner, who regularly visited the home. The girl was malnourished and dehydrated, fed softened cookies through a syringe.

The mother left the child alone when she went to work or took her other children to school. "She was left without proper care, food, interaction, or medical need. The severity of the neglect was shocking," said the judge at Chester Crown Court, quoted by PA.

The consequences for the child were catastrophic—physically, mentally, and socially. The girl was almost dead while living, before being rescued. According to a social worker, by the time she was freed, she had probably never seen another face besides her mother's.

The case came to light when the mother's partner returned to the house after she left and heard noises from the child's room. The social worker who was called described the situation as an "overwhelming horror." The mother claimed she did not know about the pregnancy and was terrified after birth, having a difficult relationship with the child's father.

The CPS prosecution informed that the child did not know daylight or fresh air and did not respond to her name.