A Michigan mother, Berline Cadeau Burkholder, 22, issued an apology in court this week after pleading guilty to first-degree child abuse, a crime that could see her imprisoned for up to 20 years.
Mother Apologizes for “Deplorable” Actions
Burkholder was charged after a December 2023 incident in which her 9-month-old daughter suffered a broken wrist and severe burns covering over 16% of her body. During her sentencing, Burkholder expressed remorse and claimed the injuries were the result of an accident. “I do understand the mistake I made with hurting my daughter, and I’ve been trying everything in my power to show it was a pure accident,” Burkholder said. She also explained her efforts since the incident, including taking classes and working to prove that she could be a responsible mother.
Injuries Raise Questions of Abuse
The case against Burkholder stemmed from a disturbing sequence of events that led to her daughter being hospitalized with first-degree burns and a broken wrist. According to a burn specialist who reviewed the case, the scalding burns likely occurred on two separate occasions. Investigators believe that the burns were caused by hot liquid being poured over the infant while she was lying on her back. Additionally, burns on the child’s toes suggested a similar scalding, but from a separate incident. As a result, Burkholder was charged with child abuse in March. Initially, she faced accusations of lying to police and failing to seek timely medical care for her daughter, but the charges escalated after she admitted to her role in the abuse. Burkholder was released on bail in mid-March, but her freedom was short-lived once she pleaded guilty to the more serious charges.
Shifting Stories and Guilty Plea
Central to Burkholder’s case was her inconsistent statements about the incident. Initially, she told police that she had left her daughter with a stranger, an Uber driver, while she spent a night alone in a hotel. However, during a later interview, Burkholder changed her story, admitting she had used drugs and partied with strangers in a hotel room during the time of the incident. Eventually, under police pressure, Burkholder admitted wrongdoing, telling investigators, “Yes, I did something I wasn’t supposed to do.” During the sentencing hearing, Kent County Circuit Judge George Quist cited Burkholder’s “deplorable actions” as a key factor in determining her sentence. “Pouring scalding hot liquid on a 9-month-old child with burns so extensive they are hard to describe,” Judge Quist said, addressing the severity of the crime. He further remarked that in his decade of experience in the criminal division, only one other child abuse case had been worse.
Sentence and Future
Burkholder was sentenced to a term of 51 months to 20 years in state prison, with credit for the 74 days she had already spent in pretrial detention. She was immediately remanded to Kent County Jail and will eventually be transferred to state prison. Despite her apology and claims of remorse, the court’s decision reflected the gravity of the injuries inflicted on her child and the tragic consequences of her actions.
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