Accused mother explains failure to call at police station

A mother who is charged with abandoning and neglecting her six-year-old daughter yesterday told a court she was unable to sign at her local police station, as stipulated in her bail conditions, because her children were ill and she could not leave the house.

The mother, whose name cannot be published by court order, told Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera she had phoned the police station but did not remember whom she spoke to.

On Monday, Police Inspector Joseph Mercieca told Magistrate Scerri Herrera the woman had been arrested on Sunday after she failed to report to the police station on a daily basis as part of her bail conditions.

After hearing the woman testify, the magistrate put off the case to today.

The magistrate also appointed a doctor to visit the children.