Man who bathed his baby in boiling water faces prison term

The court heard that in August 2012, the baby's parents went to visit the accused's sister for the afternoon and, later on, the two women went out to buy food for the evening meal.

Once alone in the house, the father – identified only by his initials of M.C.M. - decided to bath his five-and-a-half-month-old son.

But he used extremely hot, near-boiling water, pouring it over the infant's body.

Even though the baby started crying immediately, his father 'held him by the head' to keep him still.

The infant continued crying after the accused took him out of the water and while he was being dried roughly with a towel, which pulled his skin off.

It was at that moment when the women returned to the house, and they took the baby straight to hospital.

He was admitted to intensive care and then transferred to the burns unit at Sevilla's Virgen del Rocío Hospital.

It took nearly 10 months to cure the child's wounds, as he needed several skin-graft operations.

The prosecution has recommended the accused pay €180,000 in compensation, to be held in trust for his son – now nearly five years old – and be banned from approaching him for the next 15 years.

He has already lost custody of the little boy and it appears the child's parents have now separated.