Baby Michael (13 January 2009)

Written by TVSA Team from the blog Special Assignment on 11 Jan 2009
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On Special Assignment this week:

Episode Title: Baby Michael
Date: Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Time: 21h30
Channel: SABC 3

This week's Special Assignment tells the story of baby Michael Connor, who was physically abused by his parents and rendered quadraplegic before he turned six months old; and of the state prosecutor who fought to see justice for the little boy.

In November 2003, baby Michael was admitted to the emergency ward of Johannesburg Hospital bruised, blind and brain damaged. It wasn't the first time he had been hospitalized - a month earlier his parents had brought him to the hospital, claiming the infant was injured after falling against a stereo.

Special Assignment investigates the story of how he was failed by those who should have protected him. Firstly, by his mother and father - who both took turns blaming each other in the subsequent court case. Michael's mother, after accusing her boyfriend and the child's father, later told police under oath she had abused the baby. She later retracted this.

There was also the social worker, who returned the abused infant to his parents, after he was first admitted to hospital.

The show speaks with Michael's carers, who try to help the little boy lead as comfortable a life as possible - but who state with finality: 'his chances of being normal again are nil.'

Also part of the story is the Johannesburg prosecutor, Carina Coetzee - who intervened personally in the court proceedings to ensure that Michael's abusers will one day be prosecuted. Coetzee, who has been involved in some of the most high-profile cases involving child abuse, was prepared to sell her house to raise funds for the case.

Michael's parents will appear later this year on charges of attempted murder and assault.

Michael's mother has remarried and has had two more children since allegedly landing her firstborn in a coma. She tells Special Assignment she deserves a second chance.

The documentary is produced by Busiswe Ntuli

Special Assignment is on SABC3 on Tuesdays at 21h30.

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16 Comments

cleve
12 Jan 2009 13:27

Michael's mother has remarried and has had two more children since allegedly landing her firstborn in a coma. She tells Special Assignment she deserves a second chance

How can she be given a second chance when the baby has no chance of a normal life. A mother is supposed to protect her children.NX!!!!!!

Ntombi nto
12 Jan 2009 13:40

I just cannot stand cruelty to kids, it takes some special character to be cruel to an innocent child.
Especially your own flesh and blood.
I am expecting my first child, I even struggle with eating stuff before I google whether its safe or not because I could not take if my actions harmed the little person inside of me, I cannot understand any other thinking really!

BigMama
12 Jan 2009 13:49

This is so sad. l can´t comment much about the dad, but michael´s mum, how can she be so cruelly a child, who can never defend or fight back, the very same child that she carried for 9months and went through labour pains. How did she feel abusing a child less than a year old.
l know that we must not judge each other but in this case, God forgive me, Michael´s mum deserve the most severe punishment than anybody involved in this case.
It is our duty as woman to protect our children, it is our duty to raise them with love and prepare their future for the best, not abuse them. In this case l would have supported woman who abort because the life of than little child would have been spared all the pains and torture from the parents, how do you leave with knowing that you landed your baby to a coma not by mistake but by choice and knowing that your child will never lead a normal life.

This a disgrace to me as a woman.

keegen
13 Jan 2009 13:12

Why is the parents still walking free and enjoying there lives while poor little micheal is suffering because of them, why is justice taking so long, they need to pay for what they have done. The punishment must be severe.

BigMama
13 Jan 2009 13:24

@keegen.........justice does really take long and believe it or not these parents may get away with it and leave their lives as if nothing happened. Even our justice system is as cruel as these parents are sometimes. People who commit serious crimes to our future leaders (children) get away with light sentences and some don´t get any sentence at all because they are believed to be the first time offenders.
In cases like these l really have to support the Botswana law that who murders shall also be murder and for Michael´s parents l would love to see them get a very slow and painful death but l know it will never happen.
They destroyed the poor kids life completely so why must they live happily as if they are not murders?

Segololo
13 Jan 2009 14:17

I can't watch this... this is just too tooo painful!
Why do people do this?!!!!
WHY?!!!

Irene
13 Jan 2009 15:25

I can't believe that she remarried (who marries such a person) and got pregnant again (twice) after what she did - she should have been sterilized - period!

cool one
14 Jan 2009 07:46

After watching this was left with so many questions and anger, why are Michael's parents still out there, carrying on with their lives as if nothing has happen. No child deserves this kind of treatment, what they did to that little boy is inhumane, i don't know how that woman lives everyday of his life.

Ms_T
14 Jan 2009 09:32

"Give me a second chance"

What chance does Baby Michael have? She be punished by never ever seeing or touching Baby Michael...that should be her punishment since that is what she wants so badly.

I strongly agree with Carina Coetzee when she said that the mother should have been sterilised! To allow this type of person to rear children...is sick!

What is this world coming to when children dont have to worry about perfect strangers BUT WHEN THEY HAVE TO FEAR THEIR OWN PARENTS!

And to think they Baby Michael's parents are leading normal lives...what about Baby Michael's life. He'll never know what it would be like to have kids of his own. To be a loving parent! Our legal system is $crewed when it cant protect the children!

BigMama
14 Jan 2009 09:47

Our legal system is screwed big time. What happened to that poor child is truely sad and l believe if it wasn´t for the granny who took him to the hospital, he could have died. That woman should have been sterilised for really, that child is pain, he can´t even band his arms or legs, he is blind and his been in a coma when he was just three months old.
Sometimes l ask myself that is it God´s will for such an innocent child to go through so much pain at that stage, did he really deserve to be punished like that. This is one painful programme l have ever watched

l would have loved to see Michaels mum to see that child, to see what she has done to the child that she says she loves to death, l just want her to feel the pain of seeing the child who was born normal and healthy turned to that state by her actions.

And to all woman, please don´t blame your negligence and uncaring ways to your abusive husbands, if you see that you are abused just stay away from the abuser, don´t do things that are unhuman and say l feared for my life.

lucializelle
14 Jan 2009 10:01

The justice system are so wrong they dont actually care that happen to the childen, people who do that to children must be sentence and paid for what they did.
I need to get hold of a number of email adress od special assignment.
My babygirl are almost in the same position. She got injured by the daycare mother abuse and end up with severe brain damage , she a CP now, can do nothing, not walk, talk or anything.And the lady who are responsible for this are still enjoying her life.
She was a normal child very beautifull, on 11 months she end half dead in the hospital, 3 brain operations. When i drop her off the morning at daycare there were nothing wrong with her, After five my sister went to fetch her she got a scene with ambulans, police, etc. She phoned me and told me Lucia are stabled i must get them at the hospital.
Please guys, I need to speak to the people of special assignment, I want Justice. My child life are ruined and has no chance.
email: lucia_lizelle@hotmail.com

cleve
14 Jan 2009 10:07

Lucia My GOd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can this happen!!!!!!!!!!I'll keep you in my prayers.

Someone please help this woman to get justice for her child.

cool one
14 Jan 2009 11:26

Phone: 27 11 714 6757
Fax: 27 11 714 6254
E-mail:truth@sabc.co.za

let baby
14 Jan 2009 11:40

this is very bad i believe that south african law protect the criminals more than the victims. the poor kid is suffering as if he hasnt suffered enough and the parets r living as if nothing has happened. since the law has failed us wat we r left with is to pray to God dat He fight our battles for us....

Saddened
18 Oct 2011 20:56

I have followed little Michael's story. It is a very sad story indeed. And that the justice system has failed him is even more devastating. I heard through the grape vine that little Michael passed away on Sunday, 16th October 2011. If this is true, may his soul rest in peace, and everyone that knew him, take solace in the fact that he is now with Jesus, and has no pain. In view of this, I hope the state now brings murder charges against the parents.

BigMama
22 Nov 2011 12:29

OHANNESBURG - The parents of seven-year-old Michael Connor were yesterday found guilty of assault which resulted in his death by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.

Michael died in October this year after suffering for seven years from injuries sustained at the hands of his abusive parents.

In 2003, at three-months-old, he was admitted to hospital with a bruised and swollen left eye. A month later, on November 11, the four-month-old was re-admitted to the Johannesburg General Hospital. He was permanently blind, with fresh bruises on his face and irreversible brain damage.

His mother, who was 18 at the time, pleaded guilty to assaulting her baby and while she was on remand awaiting sentence, the father pleaded guilty in a plea-bargain deal to the offence of not feeding Michael or taking him to hospital for medical treatment. For this he received a two-year suspended prison sentence.

The mother then changed her plea to not guilty and when the State tried to recharge Connor he argued he had already been convicted and couldn’t be tried twice.

Yesterday, after a prolonged trial, they were acquitted of murder charges as the state could not prove they intended to murder their baby.

Advocacy groups protesting outside the court were outraged at the magistrate’s decision to acquit Marshall and Connor of murder.

Kevin Barbeau, executive director of Women And Men Against Child Abuse, said they wanted the parents convicted of murder. “We are disgusted and shocked at the decision, to know that children out there are suffering and justice is not being served,” he said.

Barbeau said it was unacceptable that the mother could now raise three more children after getting married. “How can she be allowed to have children and take care of them,” he said.

Meanwhile, State Prosecutor in the case Carina Coetzee, who intervened personally in the proceedings said she was happy with the court’s judgment. “It was a fair decision. As the state we conceded we could not prove they intended to commit murder,” she said.

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