Court case postponed against a woman whose baby was killed by her dog 

The court case against a mother whose baby was killed by her dog was delayed on Wednesday after she did not report to the court in Lelystad. The court thinks the woman needs to attend the trial in person. The suspect, 34-year-old Maria D., had written to the court prior to the case that she did not feel mentally able to attend the hearing. "This tragedy has devastated me so much."

A two-month-old boy was attacked by a dog last August in a home on the Staalstraat in Emmeloord. The child died of his injuries. The dog, a cross between an American Staffordshire Terrier and a pitbull, has been seized by the police and put down.

The Public Prosecution Service decided to prosecute the woman for manslaughter and failure to ensure that a dangerous animal was kept harmless. She allegedly left the kid in a baby nest on the couch while she made a bottle of milk in the open kitchen. The dog was lying next to the sofa.

It was not the first time that the dog was aggressive towards people and wore a muzzle when it was outside. There was a previous biting incident that D. testified about while walking the dog. She allegedly jumped between her own dog and another one after they had gotten into a fight. Initially, she allegedly said that she had been bitten by her own dog, but later, she stated that she was no longer certain.

This is one of the issues that the prosecutor wants to question the woman about. This is the reason that he rejected the request from D.'s lawyer to have the case heard without her presence.

The court also wants to ask the suspect some questions. The court added that they understood the tough position of the woman who lost her only child in the incident.

"It must be a very difficult process for her," the judge said. "But in the context of a suitable course of the case, the suspect must be able to be questioned further."

The court orders the woman to appear at a subsequent hearing. No date has been set yet, but the court hopes the case can be heard before the end of the year.