Couple accused of leaving toddler, 3, naked outside in the cold

A couple from Arnhem is accused of seriously abusing a 3-year-old girl in 2015. According to the Prosecutor in court on Thursday, the couple beat and pinched the girl, put a diaper in her mouth more than once, bound her with duct tape, put pepper in her eyes and repeatedly left her outside in the cold with no or little clothes, Omroep Gelderland reports.

The couple - a 45-year-old woman and 36-year-old man both from Arnhem - broke up since and the man moved out. The little girl is still living with her mother though. According the newspaper, the woman was very emotional during the hearing on Thursday when she told the court that she is trying to build a new future with her child. She her self reported the abuse.

The whereabouts of the male suspect is unknown. He previously told the police that it was the woman and her oldest son who abused the little girl. The court therefore wants to question the son.

The woman still hasn't hired a lawyer, and the court advised her to do so. As many people still need to be questioned, there is still much uncertainty about the case and the case was delayed

Both the man and the woman are also accused of refusing aid workers access to the little girl, lying to the authorities and not getting help themselves if it was the other child who abused the girl.