Court decides against jailing Rotterdam mother for baby’s death by dog attack

A 34-year-old woman from Rotterdam whose dog bit and killed her two-month-old son in August 2023 was acquitted on Wednesday on charges of causing the death by being negligent. The Midden-Nederland District Court convicted the woman of a charge considered to be legally less severe, but the judges presiding over the case decided against ordering her to prison.

"She stands convicted of failing to take sufficient care of a dangerous animal for which she was responsible, but the court does not find a punishment appropriate given all the circumstances," the court said.

The incident occurred on August 24 last year in a house in Emmeloord. The baby was lying on the couch while the dog, which was a mix between an American Staffordshire Terrier and a pitbull, was on the ground. The woman briefly stepped over to the refrigerator in the same part of the home to get a bottle for the baby.

It was at that moment that the dog attacked the child. The baby later died from severe head and brain injuries. The woman had lost sight of the baby for a few seconds and assumed that it was safe on the couch, a terrible error in judgement in hindsight, the court said.

"With the knowledge we now have, it can be stated that this trust was based on incorrect assumptions, but in the court's opinion, the woman cannot be held criminally liable for this."

She briefly left the dog alone, even though a report showed that the animal was dangerous, according to the court. "This is a misdemeanor, and not a crime."