Mother of Kiernan Hughes-Mason attack victim tells of impact

Speaking after Hughes-Mason was sentenced on Tuesday, the victim’s mother, who did not want her name published, said her child could no longer sit, stand or walk independently.

“The brain damage caused has affected her communication – she cannot even tell us where her pain is or what upsets her,” she said in a statement issued via Essex Police.

“Despite all this, we still see her personality shine through every day. In the midst of the pain she constantly faces, she brightens the darkest days.

“We will continue our best to ensure that she can live each day to the full as best she can. We love her more than anything else in this world.”

The children’s charity NSPCC, external said it was “vital” that a review into the case was undertaken to see if anything could have been done to stop Hughes-Mason.

It branded the incident as “a brutal and cowardly attack on a defenceless toddler he had been entrusted to look after”.