this man continues to live......

maybe if the police....

Bashed 7-year boy awarded $13 million from Dad
December 12, 2008 12:00am

SMH

AS a nine-month-old baby, he was beaten so savagely by his mother's de facto that he will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair - brain damaged, almost blind and unable to talk.

Yesterday the boy won almost $13 million after suing his attacker for damages in the Supreme Court.

But he may never see the money because the man he sued, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, cannot pay - even though he once won the Lotto.

While describing the tragic circumstances of the boy's young life, Justice Clifton Hoeben noted that calculating damages was ``largely academic''.

Apart from $228,000 from the sale of a house, the man ``has only limited assets'', the judge said.
the man is serving a minimum four-year jail term for assaulting the boy. Now aged seven, the child cannot be named for legal reasons.

In July 2002, he was taken to Dubbo Base Hospital suffering a fractured skull, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and brain damage.

Extensive bruising to the baby's face, head, torso arms and legs showed his injuries had been inflicted over some time.

His mother supported the man when questioned by doctors and police, suggesting any injuries were caused by the baby's two-year-old brother.

When the baby was released from the Children's Hospital at Westmead two months later, it was into the care of his maternal grandparents.

Now his mother rarely sees him. His father left the family soon after he was born and denies paternity. He has had no contact with him since the assault.

The boy's grandparents, aged in their 60s, care for him around the clock but get only minimal assistance from government agencies, paying for almost all his needs themselves.

The boy is essentially wheelchair bound, has cerebral palsy and severe intellectual disability. He cannot speak, is almost blind and has frequent seizures. He is entirely dependent on others for his care and is expected to live another 67 years.

Justice Hoeben awarded the boy $12.9 million, mostly for his future care. He also allowed money to manage the boy's funds, despite conceding ``it is most unlikely that there will be any funds to manage''.