Mother Accused of Burning Child’s Hand

Odette Lambey

There is an allegation tonight against a thirty-two year-old mother who is accused of disciplining her six year old child by placing his hand on fire after she found out he had been playing with fire.  The Social Department intervened and has removed the young child from the care of his mother; placing him into protection. This morning on arrival at court, Odette Lambey covered her face to conceal her identity. Lambey’s arraignment took place before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith. She was slapped with a single count of Grievous Harm upon her son. The incident is said to have occurred on October sixteenth at her house in the Saint Martin de Porres area in Belize City. Lambey’s attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd, told the court that Social Services has placed the child in the care of his maternal grandparents and that his siblings remain in the care of their mother. Matura-Shepherd asked the court to allow Lambey to have supervised visits and that she will seek counseling. The police prosecutor, Corporal Christopher Smith, had no objection to bail, but asked the court to set conditions. With that, Chief Magistrate Smith ordered the mother to stay away from the child until the visits can be arranged. Lambey was offered bail in the sum of five hundred dollars plus one surety of the same amount and her case was adjourned for December fifth, 2014. According to a report taken from the child in the presence of a social worker, Lambey went to buy at a nearby store and upon her return found that someone had been playing with fire. After the six year old admitted it was him, she allegedly lit the stove and placed his hand into the fire. A doctor has classified the burns as grievous harm.