Perhaps they won’t recall: A mother who abuses her 18-month-old children receives 20 years, the most of which are spent under house arrest

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Perhaps they won't recall A mother who abuses her 18-month-old children receives 20 years, the most of which are spent under house arrest

An Alabama woman will serve just one year in prison after receiving harsh punishments for child abuse late last month.

Samantha Woods, 23, was found guilty of two counts of wilful child abuse on May 29. The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office announced this week that on June 25, she was sentenced to two 10-year sentences to be served consecutively. However, she will serve almost the entire sentence under house arrest.

According to authorities, the defendant first came to the attention of law enforcement after a domestic incident prompted an investigation.

The investigators then determined that two 18-month-old children at a home in Scottsboro, a small town about 40 miles east of Huntsville, had been abused to the point where they required medical care.

While details about the exact torment the victims endured are scarce, attention has focused on their extremely young ages.

In a statement to the Jackson County Sentinel after Woods’ conviction, the prosecution dismissed such speculation.

“The (children’s) age has been discussed as if it is a good thing, as if it is okay to abuse and neglect babies because’maybe they won’t remember,'” Jackson County Assistant District Attorney Krystina Jackson told the paper. “We have no idea how much damage has been done. We’ll never know if children feel safe and loved when they go to bed, or if they remember being dirty, alone, and in pain.

While the underlying domestic dispute was between Woods and her partner, a neighbour called police on that fateful day.

In court, Jackson County Circuit Judge Brent Benson capitalised on the turn of events.

“Thank God for nosy neighbours,” the judge allegedly said. “I am convinced that if your neighbours had not heard your domestic [incident] and reported it to the police, I do not know what would have happened to your children. I am confident your children would not have received help… I’m not sure what 18-month-old children remember, but perhaps one day they’ll realise that a nosy neighbour may have saved their lives.”

The woman who has since been sentenced will serve five years of supervised probation after serving her time in state prison, according to the court ruling. She will also need to take parenting classes.

“This conviction sends a clear message: abuse of children will not be tolerated in Jackson County,” Jackson County District Attorney Jason Pierce told The Clarion, another local news source. “Protecting our children is not only a priority; it is a sacred responsibility. Every child is entitled to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, free of fear and harm.”

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