That Little Life

"I have been and always will be sorry for failing to save my daughter.  But I tried my best to save her after I learned about her unwellness for the first time.  ...I can only take responsibility of my actions, and so I am maintaining my innocence."  Ashiqur Rahman, Halifax

Taking responsibility for his actions, the man pleads innocence.  He is clearly misunderstood.  He did all in his power as an intelligent, well-educated university graduate of 26, partnered with a woman he met at university, to ensure the ongoing health and well-being of their seven-week old daughter. 

The baby, however, was irritating.  And when she was irritating she was slapped and shaken.

Judge Felix Cacchione of Nova Scotia Supreme Court sentenced Ashiqur Rahman to six and a half years in prison.  Holding him responsible for the fact that his seven-week-old child suffered broken ribs and internal bleeding.  Doctors who examined the baby's body concluded that tiny Aurora suffered brain tissue tears, bleeding behind her left eye, and had sustained 27 rib fractures at the time of her death.

But of course this had little to do with her father.  As he testified in his defence, he tried his best to save her once he learned about her "unwellness". 

"I'm not satisfied that the evidence established a systemic course of violence.  Rather I would characterize the incidents as arising from a loss of control due to spontaneous frustration caused by immaturity and inexperience regarding parenting needs of a young infant", stated the judge, most generously.

Judge Cacchione felt that Mr. Rahman had been a victim of his obsession to be successful as an entrepreneur, and his resulting frustration led to his abuse of the child.  "This desire was so strong that it even affected and clouded his ability to be compassionate, caring and considerate of others.  In my view this also affected his ability to recognize the danger of the infliction of force on a young infant."

"It takes very little force to cause considerable damage to a young infant.  I'm not convinced that Mr. Rahman appreciated this at the time of the offences.  I'm not sure he appreciates this to this day."  To which one can only add that the judge should be certain that he does not appreciate his direct role in the death of his child, since he asserts his innocence.

The baby's mother testified against her baby's father.  She witnessed him slapping and hitting the baby weeks before tiny Aurora died.  She had the opportunity, presumably, to remove her baby from direct danger, and did not do so.  She was charged with failing to provide the necessities of life, but received a conditional discharge with six months probation in exchange for her testimony.

"I have dreams about [Aurora] very often, mostly happy and a few frightening ones.  Then I wake up to the reality.  She is dead.  ...There is nothing to be hoped for.  Words cannot express how it feels when I think of my grave mistake of trusting Ashiqur with Aurora and the pain she endured in that little life because of that mistake."

Some errors of judgement become catastrophic.  In this instance failure to act caused an irreplaceable loss.  And a lifetime of guilt for one of the parents of this infant.