A horrific incident of child cruelty took place in Co. Donegal when a young father left his two-year-old daughter alone on the side of a road as revenge against his ex-girlfriend. The man took pictures of the abandoned child, sent them to her mother, and drove off, leaving the toddler crying and in a terrified state. Passers-by found the child and contacted the authorities. The man was charged with child cruelty and appeared in Letterkenny District Court, where he pleaded guilty. The child’s father cannot be named to protect the toddler’s identity. CCTV footage showed the man driving off leaving the child alone, and he admitted to getting the child out of her bed and leaving her in Letterkenny. The man’s barrister said her client was very remorseful, and there was no excuse for his unacceptable actions. The child’s mother said in a victim impact statement that her daughter still struggles to be around other people. The court ordered that the man’s sentence be finalized next week.
