A JUDGE yesterday blasted laws that limited his power to punish a 'wicked' mother who handed over her toddler to a child torturer.
The two-year-old victim spent two agonising days with a babysitter who methodically punctured his limbs with a 7.5-centimetre safety pin.
Judge Muttrie also questioned the judgment of the Attorney-General in sending the case to District Court.
The man, who left 80 puncture wounds in the toddler's flesh and broke his arm when he struggled to escape, would face life imprisonment if the case had been brought before the High Court. But in the District Court the judge is shackled by a maximum seven-year sentence.
'The choice of venue is the prerogative of the Attorney-General, but it is certainly arguable that this case should have been heard in the High Court,' he said.
Spokesman for the Attorney-General, Betty Ho, said her office was reviewing the case and the judge's advice.
