Doctors say it’s unlikely the toddler will have a ‘meaningful recovery’
A mom in Florida has been charged with felony aggravated child abuse after allegedly beating and torturing her 22-month-old daughter into a “vegetative state.”
On June 16, an investigator with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Victim’s Unit responded to a call from the Studer Family Children’s Hospital about a possible case of child abuse, according to Law and Crime.
When the investigator arrived, they found the daughter of Susan Lane Hale had suffered horrific injuries, including extensive hair loss, bruising on her face, and what appeared to be inflicted burns.
The medical staff informed investigators that the injuries were caused by “inflicted, non-accidental trauma and child mistreatment rather than by accident.”
Hale had “no explanation” for the child’s injuries and investigators discovered she had been lying about her whereabouts in the hours and days leading up to her daughter’s injuries.
Doctors told authorities that the toddler has been in a “persistent vegetative state” for the last four months with a “grim prognosis for meaningful recovery.”
On Monday, October 23, Hale was taken into custody and charged with one count of felony aggravated child abuse. The 27-year-old is currently being held in Escambia County Jail on $750,000 bond.