A court in Quebec has sentenced a father to 18 months of house arrest after his two-month-old daughter was brought to hospital with a broken leg and doctors discovered dozens of additional fractures.
The case dates back more than seven years, when the infant was admitted to CHU Sainte-Justine, a major pediatric hospital in Montreal.
Medical staff found a broken femur along with approximately 50 fractures of varying ages elsewhere in the child’s body.
Crown prosecutor Bruno Des Lauriers said the father, identified in court records only as M.B., pleaded guilty to assault.
The mother, identified as S.R.-P., pleaded guilty to criminal negligence and is awaiting sentencing.
According to an agreed statement of facts, the father admitted he injured the baby while changing her diaper in November 2018 after making what the court described as an impatient movement near her leg.
The child continued crying afterward, and the father later went to school, leaving the baby in the mother’s care.
Court documents state the infant was not taken to hospital for three days, despite signs that her leg was swollen and unstable. Prosecutors said the child was only brought for treatment after the grandmother urged the mother to seek medical help.
Further examinations revealed multiple fractures that doctors believed were consistent with several separate non-accidental traumatic events.
Following the investigation, the child was removed from her parents’ care.
Prosecutors said the father’s guilty plea spared court resources and reflected an acknowledgment that his actions were wrong.
The court also heard that psychological and social stressors existed in the home, including conflict between the parents, lack of parenting experience, emotional strain, and mental health struggles.
Despite the severe injuries suffered in infancy, prosecutors said the child is now a healthy seven-year-old living with a foster family.
She is reported to have no lasting physical effects and remains in foster care until adulthood.
The biological parents are permitted supervised visits.
The case has drawn renewed attention to the importance of early intervention, caregiver support, and protecting vulnerable children when warning signs emerge.