http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=c187af4d-bde4-4ec5-8d21-94a34c4ccba7Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/8296-parents-found-guilty.html Infant's broken bones left untreated Parents found guilty of failing to provide necessities of life
Darah HansenVancouver Sun, with files from the Surrey Now
Thursday, February 23, 2006
SURREY - A Surrey couple who failed to get timely medical care for their infant son's broken bones in 2002 were found guilty Wednesday in B.C. Supreme Court on a charge of failing to provide their child with the necessities of life.
Gurpreet Toor, 24, and her now-estranged husband, 28-year-old Naib Toor, are scheduled to be sentenced May 17 in New Westminster.
In pronouncing his verdict, Justice David Brine said it was difficult to imagine the agony and horror suffered by their young son, Ravinder Toor, in the summer of 2002, when the boy was just 10 months old.
In testimony during the trial -- held Feb. 6 to 13 -- the court heard that Ravinder suffered several serious fractures to his legs, left wrist and left elbow in July and August of 2002 while he was primarily in the care of his father.
Surrey Memorial Hospital doctors who examined the child during that period told the court the boy's injuries were "non-accidental" -- meaning they were likely caused by someone else, or in the presence of someone else. However, no explanation for the injuries was offered during trial.
A police investigation was launched Aug. 15, 2002 after Naib Toor brought the boy into Surrey Memorial with a severely swollen left elbow, which was quickly diagnosed as broken.
Dr. Robert White testified Ravinder's father said he'd noticed the swelling on the child's arm the day before but waited for a family member to accompany him to hospital and act as translator from his native Punjabi.
X-rays taken of the boy at that time revealed older breaks to Ravinder's leg and wrist, court heard at trial. White testified the wrist fracture likely happened two to three weeks before Ravinder was brought to hospital.
The court also heard that Ravinder had been diagnosed with a possible broken leg in July 2002, but the family failed to get medical help for the fracture.
Instead, Ravinder's leg was bound with cloth by a traditional Indian healer.
On Wednesday, the judge said though the child was primarily under his father's care at the time of the injuries, Gurpreet, too, failed in her responsibilities as a parent by neglecting to take her obviously injured child to a doctor.
Crown counsel Kris Pechet noted during the trial that the family lived two blocks from a medical clinic, and within 10 minutes' drive of Surrey Memorial.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8296
In an interview Wednesday, Pechet said Ravinder, now four, currently lives with his mother and is in good health.
"There are no ongoing problems that we know of," he said.
Gurpreet and Naib Toor are separated, with a divorce pending.
A pre-sentence report is being prepared to aid the judge with sentencing. The maximum penalty for the crime is two years in jail.
dahansen@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Sun 2006
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