CALGARY — A woman has been charged in the aggravated assault of her 11-month-old daughter nearly two years ago and an investigation continues into injuries the child's twin brother was found with.
The girl was brought to the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary with a broken arm in March 2018.
Police say they investigated because the injury was not consistent with a story the mother told doctors. Officers found the girl's twin in the same home.
"A medical examination of him found that he had a fractured right ankle and multiple skull fractures," Det. Amy Spence of the Calgary Police Service child abuse unit said Tuesday.
"It is believed that the mother was the only caregiver for the children at the time ... and no plausible explanation for the children's injuries has been provided by her."
Spence said the investigation began shortly after hospital authorities informed police. She said the children were moved out of the home.
It's not unusual for cases involving small children to take some time before charges are laid, said Spence.
"They become a little bit more complex when we're dealing with children that are under the age of two, typically, and they can't tell us a story or speak for themselves."
Spence said the woman, who cannot be identified to protect the identities of the children, was not known to police. Spence is hoping to hear from friends or neighbours who might be able to shed more light on the case.
"I am hoping for additional information to come forward and the injuries relating to the boy are still a very active investigation."
There has been an increase in reports of child abuse and the unit already has 150 cases since the beginning of the year, Spence said. It could be that the public is more comfortable coming forward to report alleged child abuse, she added.
"Although it can take us some time to figure out, we want to make sure that we do our best to support the safety of these kids."
The woman is to appear in court Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2020
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press