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| Toddler fight women spared jail | Toddler fight women spared jail |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Four Plymouth women who goaded toddlers into fighting and filmed it have been given 12-month suspended sentences. | Four Plymouth women who goaded toddlers into fighting and filmed it have been given 12-month suspended sentences. |
| The four, who cannot be named, admitted child cruelty charges before sentencing at Plymouth Crown Court on Friday. | |
| During the case, seven minutes of video was shown. A boy wearing a nappy was called a "wimp" for not hitting a girl back after she struck him in the face. | During the case, seven minutes of video was shown. A boy wearing a nappy was called a "wimp" for not hitting a girl back after she struck him in the face. |
| The four women, all from the same family, are heard laughing as the toddlers are urged to keep on fighting. | The four women, all from the same family, are heard laughing as the toddlers are urged to keep on fighting. |
| The boy, aged two, is seen crying after being punched in the face by his three-year-old sister and is told by one of the four women in the room "not to be a wimp or a faggot" and to hit her back. | |
| Anyone watching this footage... would have been sickened and saddened Det Sgt Barry Walters | |
| One of the women pleaded guilty to causing or procuring the children to be ill treated in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury. | One of the women pleaded guilty to causing or procuring the children to be ill treated in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury. |
| The other three pleaded guilty to jointly inciting the ill treatment of children. | The other three pleaded guilty to jointly inciting the ill treatment of children. |
| The judge gave all four women a one-year suspended sentence, saying they posed no risk to the public. | |
| The children are in the care of the parents of their father, who is a member of the armed forces. | |
| Speaking after the case, investigating officer Det Sgt Barry Walters said: "Anyone watching this footage showing grown adults encouraging very young children committing unnatural acts would have been sickened and saddened. | |
| "We have been in touch with child protection teams across the country and to my knowledge this is the first time that something like this has ever gone to court." | |
| He said the sentencing was the "decision of the judge". | |
| "Our priority and the priority of their family is the children. | |
| "They are in a very supportive family who wish to bring them up the best way they can." |