A man is pleading not guilty to seriously injuring the autistic five-year-old son of his partner.

The man, who cannot be mentioned by court order, was charged with injuring the child and failing to take care of him.

Police Inspector Sylvana Briffa, who is prosecuting, testified before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that the police had received a report from social agency Appoġġ that, last February, the child went to school with bruises on the left side of his face.

When the police started investigating, they found another two reports made to Appoġġ that the boy had a bruised face last September and went to school with leg injuries in January.

The man admitted to the police that sometimes he would hit the boy who was very hard to control.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia are appearing for the man.

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