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A grandmother from Hobart has been accused of mistreating her 13-year-old grandson in a series of incidents characterised by a need for “power and control,” a court has heard. The case, which unfolded in the Supreme Court of Tasmania, centres on allegations of abuse during an eight-month period in 2015 when the children were in her care.
Crown Prosecutor Linda Mason argued that the grandmother’s strict authority over the household worsened over time, with her need for control extending to food restrictions, limiting access to the toilet, and even dictating the positions the children could sit or stand.
The prosecution described her treatment as “coercive” and designed to instil fear in the children, alleging that her behaviour escalated whenever she felt her authority was being challenged.
Ms Mason told the court that the accused enforced extreme punishments, which she said were aimed at “breaking” the boy’s spirit. These included forcing him to wear nappies and, in a particularly cruel act, making him eat his own vomit.
Ms Mason emphasised the deliberate nature of these punishments, claiming they were designed to degrade and humiliate the boy, stripping him of any sense of self-worth.
“The aim was to completely undermine him, to erode his confidence and break him down,” Ms Mason said, further alleging that the grandmother held a “deep disdain” for the boy. She also suggested that much of the child’s behaviour was the result of trauma, which only worsened under the accused’s regime.
In a show of support, the accused’s husband sat behind her in court, as he had throughout the hearing. He testified in his wife’s defence, asserting that they had done their best with minimal support from child protection agencies. He maintained that she had never mistreated the children during their time together.
Defence lawyer Craig Rainbird painted a very different picture of the grandmother, claiming the boy’s accusations were the result of “false memories” and unreliable evidence.
He pointed out that police interviews conducted in 2016 revealed more positive sentiments from the other grandchildren. One child reportedly described the grandmother as “kind,” while another expressed affection for her in a diary entry: “I can’t wait to see Nanny and Poppy.”
Mr Rainbird also argued that the complainant’s bruising was not caused by abuse but by self-harm, motivated by the boy’s desire to return to live with relatives in another state. He suggested that the child’s account of events had deteriorated over time and was no longer reliable.
This report has been informed by details from The Mercury.
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