HEMEL HEMPSTEAD MAN GRZEGORZE LIS AND JOANNA SKRODZKA SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL CHILD ABUSE IN POLISH COMMUNITY

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Hemel Hempstead, a Polish man named Grzegorze Lis, aged 35, was sentenced to ten years and nine months in prison for inflicting severe injuries on an eight-week-old baby girl. The court heard that Lis subjected the infant to a brutal series of assaults, which resulted in catastrophic and permanent damage to her health.

The injuries inflicted by Lis were both extensive and horrifying. The court was told that he fractured the child's skull with a forceful impact, causing bleeding on the brain and depriving her of oxygen, which ultimately left her blind and deaf. Additionally, Lis broke both of her legs at the lower shin near the ankles, as well as her thigh bones. The violence was so severe that the child was left in agonizing pain for nearly a week before any medical intervention was sought.

Adding to the brutality, Lis also bit the tiny infant on her arm during the assault, demonstrating a disturbing level of violence and cruelty. The court was informed that the injuries were inflicted over a period, with the earliest attacks occurring around March 1 or 2 of that year. Despite the child's evident suffering, Lis's partner, Joanna Skrodzka, aged 22, who shared a flat with him in Hemel Hempstead, chose to ignore the child's condition and failed to report the abuse. Skrodzka was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison for child cruelty, having been found guilty by a jury last month.

The court heard that the child's injuries were among the worst cases of brain damage the medical expert involved in the case had ever encountered in his 600 cases. The child's condition has left her incontinent and in need of constant, round-the-clock care for the rest of her life. It was revealed that she was left in pain and distress for nearly a week before hospital staff at Watford General Hospital saw her for the first time. She was then immediately transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London for specialized treatment.

Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC explained that Lis's violent actions occurred during a series of assaults, and that Skrodzka, despite knowing the child's suffering, chose not to seek help. The presiding judge, Recorder Amanda Tipples, stated that the injuries were inflicted sometime between March 1 and 2, and emphasized that Skrodzka's failure to act was a grave breach of her responsibilities. She pointed out that a reasonable person would have sought medical assistance immediately once aware of the child's condition.

Lis was convicted of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and causing actual bodily harm. The court was told that the injuries to the child are among the most severe of their kind, with her current condition requiring lifelong care. The case has left the community of Hemel Hempstead deeply disturbed, highlighting the tragic consequences of neglect and violence within a domestic setting.