An influencer has been found guilty of forcing her toddler daughter to take ice baths to stop her tantrums.
Joana Mascarenhas received a suspended sentence of two-and-a-half years for domestic violence.
She will also have to pay her three-year-old daughter £830 (€1,000) in compensation for “humiliating” her.
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In a viral clip from 2023, the Portuguese influencer said on camera that she immersed her daughter in cold water as a method of stopping her bad behavior.
She explained: “It is the most effective way to calm her down.”
She recounted two specific occasions when she used cold water to calm down her child.
Mascarenhas, now 34, said she submerged her daughter in a cold pool up to her neck.
And she also placed the tot in a bathtub while still wearing her pajamas and showered her in cold water.
The judge said that, although they stopped the child’s tantrums, her methods did not constitute an “adequate form of care” and only worked because her daughter was “scared”.
The judge argued that if carried out among adults, these actions would be “humiliating” to the other party.
Mascarenhas’ lawyer said she made an “unfortunate decision”, but not one that should be considered a crime, arguing that it did not cause any physical or psychological harm to the girl.
The influencer received a suspended sentence as she had never committed a criminal offense before, as reported by Need To Know.
She announced her intention to appeal the verdict.
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