'She just cowers': Baby girl beaten by mum left 'mentally scarred', says dad
A distraught Adelaide father said his infant daughter has been left "mentally scarred" after her mother attacked her with a spoon, leaving her "black and blue".
Lorien Norman, 26, faced a maximum of 13 years behind bars, but was given a 21-month suspended sentence with a two-year good behaviour bond and a $500 fine.
The lenient sentence made headlines and left little Evie's father dumbfounded.
“How can you not get time for that?" Shane McMahon asked Today Tonight.
“You get a couple of thousand dollars fine for going through a red light in Victoria and she walks away with a $500 bond for nearly killing her child, it’s horrible."
In October 2016, Norman rang emergency services at 4am threatening to throw the baby off her apartment balcony, according to court documents.
On arriving, police observed bruising to Evie's face and took the mother and daughter to hospital.
Norman told police she had fallen from a playground - that was quickly proven false.
“It was stated in all the forensic reports that she was obviously hit numerous times, they say a minimum of eight separate forceful blows to the head," Mr McMahon said.
“She was black and blue, her whole entire face was swollen."
“She couldn’t bear to even open her mouth, she was so sore, she couldn’t eat or drink for days.”
While physically little Evie has recovered, her dad said the mental scars have been much harder to treat.
“She just instantly cowers, she puts her hands up… even in the mornings when I go to get her out of the cot, you have to make yourself known because you'll startle her and she'll just sit up.”
Shadow Minister for Families and Child Protection, Rachel Sanderson is one of many supporters calling for a review of the sentence.
“It was absolutely horrific, it was just an absolute shock to see that a mother could do this to her own baby,” she told Today Tonight.
"I'm calling on John Rau our Attorney General to request a review with the DPP and after that review to see if it is appropriate to call for an appeal on this sentence."
That review will need to happen sooner rather than later, with the 21-day appeal window set to expire this Wednesday.
