A woman faces a lengthy prison sentence for child abuse following the hospitalization of her 9-month-old daughter, who was treated for a broken wrist and serious burns.
Berline Burkholder faced charges in March for first-degree child abuse, following earlier charges for lying to a peace officer and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. On Monday, she received a prison sentence ranging from four years and three months to 20 years.
A child was admitted to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in December of the previous year, suffering from serious burns covering 16% of her body and a non-accidental fracture in her right wrist, according to court documents.
Burkholder first informed the authorities that she had left the baby with an Uber driver and spent the night by herself in a hotel. Eventually, she acknowledged, “I did something I wasn’t supposed to do,” according to court documents.
Investigators gathered information from interviews, cellphone data, and Uber records to establish that the burns occurred at a residence on Hudson Street SW close to Cleveland Avenue in Wyoming around December 20. According to police, Burkholder was the sole occupant of the home during the incident.
Court records reveal that the doctor “stated he believes the injuries were caused by a scalding hot liquid being poured over (the baby) while she was laying on her back.”
Burkholder’s attorney acknowledged the emotional nature of the case, stating that her client made every effort to address the situation within the confines of the court’s limitations. When given the opportunity to address the matter, Burkholder expressed that it was never her intention to cause harm to her child.
“I do understand the mistake I made with hurting my daughter and I’ve been trying everything in my power to show it was a pure accident,” Burkholder told the court. “Classes, working, I’ve been doing everything that I could to show that I can be a mother and that it was an accident. And if I do have to do time, I am still going to do everything I can to stay connected, whether through talking to the father or foster workers.”
The judge stated that he took all factors into account and delivered his verdict due to what he described as Burkholder’s “deplorable actions.”
“Pouring scalding hot liquid on a 9-month-old child with burns so extensive they are hard to describe. I’ve been doing this job for 10 years here in the criminal division and I’ve seen one case of child abuse that is worse than this — and that’s out of a lot of cases,” Kent County Circuit Court Judge George Quist said.
Reference: Wyoming mom gets prison after baby suffers serious burns