A mother has confessed to committing an act of actual bodily harm after forcibly tattooing her underage daughter, drawing the ire of the presiding judge who admonished her for her actions.
The peculiar case unfolded in Maidstone Crown Court, where it was revealed that the woman and her partner were engaged in tattooing each other during an incident in October 2021. It was disclosed that the woman, whose identity remains concealed for legal purposes, prompted her daughter, whose identity is similarly protected, to receive a tattoo despite the child’s explicit refusal.
According to prosecutor Naomi Perry, the child, upon expressing her dissent, was commanded by her inebriated mother to comply. Ignoring the girl’s objections, the mother proceeded to tattoo a design, roughly the size of a 50 pence coin, onto the youngster’s skin using a tattoo gun.
“The little girl complained she did not want the tattoo but was told to shut up,” Perry remarked during the court proceedings, emphasizing the coercive nature of the act.
Following a subsequent family dispute, the 35-year-old woman callously defended her actions, asserting, “It’s my daughter, I can do what I want with her. It’s just a silly tattoo,” and accused her daughter of dishonesty regarding her reluctance.
A medical examination confirmed the severity of the tattoo’s impact, revealing that it had penetrated seven layers of skin, constituting a permanent marking, the court heard.
Initially facing a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, the woman saw the charge downgraded after admitting to the lesser offense of ABH, or actual bodily harm, as determined by the Crown Prosecution Service.
In her defense, Christopher Martin, representing the accused, highlighted his client’s tumultuous upbringing marked by domestic violence.
Upon sentencing, Recorder Edmund Fowler chastised the mother for her actions, characterizing them as “rather foolish” and emphasizing her breach of trust. Nevertheless, Fowler underscored that the assault was not perpetrated with hostile intent or an aim to inflict injury.
In light of her actions, the court imposed an 18-month community order upon the woman, stipulating 25 rehabilitation activity sessions and a mental health treatment requirement as part of her sentence.