A man is pleading not guilty to seriously injuring the autistic five-year-old son of his partner, who was seen at school with a bruised face.

The 29-year-old man, who cannot be named by court order, was charged with injuring the child and failing to take care of him in Qormi.

He went to school with bruises on the side of his face

Prosecuting Police Inspector Sylvana Briffa testified yesterday before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that they 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.

A medical examination found that the injuries were not accidental.

The police found there had been another two reports of the boy going to school with a bruised face last September and with fractures to his leg in January. The man admitted to the police that sometimes he would hit the boy because he was hard to handle.

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

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