‘Don’t muck it up’: Geraldton mother convicted of parental abuse, neglect spared immediate jail term

A Geraldton mother of three convicted of severe parental neglect and harm has narrowly avoided time behind bars, instead given an opportunity to change her ways.

The 29-year-old woman, who is not named in order to protect her children’s identities, was sentenced in Geraldton District Court on Thursday.

The woman was convicted of two counts of having care or control of a child engaged in conduct that was reckless and resulted in the child suffering, as well as breaching bail.

A charge of sexual penetration of a child under 13 was discontinued by State prosecutors.

Attending from custody, the woman was handed a jail term of two-and-a-half years, suspended for 14 months.

Currently, the woman’s two eldest children live with their father and the youngest is under the protection of the Department of Communities.

Tearful in court, the woman was supported by her grandmother who sat in the back of the courtroom.

The court was told between 2020 and 2022, the woman caused harm to two of her babies by inflicting severe neglect and harm resulting in physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse.

Prosecutor Jodie La Spina said the mother frequently verbally abused her children, was rough in handling them, failed to protect one of them from sexual abuse, failed to change nappies, failed to provide them adequate nutrition and failed to get medical attention.

The court was told the woman’s eldest child, who was a toddler at the time of the abuse, would be traumatised for life after suffering severe physical and sexual abuse resulting in a vaginal laceration.

The young child was also required to give evidence for the trial.

The woman’s youngest child at the time was also said to have been treated “roughly” which led to significant cuts and bruises.

The woman’s lawyer, Simon Freitag, said she was aware and accepting of the harm she had caused her two children and regretted the pain she inflicted on them.

At the time of the offending, the woman was in an abusive, toxic relationship and addicted to methamphetamine — which she had quit since being in custody.

Mr Freitag said the mother was also now working and had completed multiple courses to further her recovery and improve her parenting skills.

Judge Genevieve Cleary said despite the long-term harm the woman had inflicted on her children, it was clear she was making a conscious effort to rehabilitate.

She also noted there was sufficient character evidence given for the woman which she applied “heavy weight” to when determining the sentence.

“You have an inability to cope, which you have admitted to, and clearly, other people don’t see you as a lost cause,” she said.

The woman had been in custody since July 2025, which Judge Cleary said she believed was enough time based on her minimal record and young age.

Judge Cleary said she believed the woman to have been a young and distressed mother who was unsupported at the time of the offending, leading her to reduce and suspend her sentence.

She will be allowed visitation rights with her children under the supervision of child protection services, who Judge Cleary said “would be on her case”.

“On one hand you need to be punished and I think you know that, and on the other hand it is apparent you were a young mother, overwhelmed and addicted to meth,” Judge Cleary said.

“Children are our most valuable and vulnerable assets, and I am satisfied you did not set out to intentionally harm your children.

“I have given you an opportunity for your children’s sake. Don’t muck it up.”