A Pennsylvania couple charged with neglect after their one-month-old girl was severely mauled by the family's pet ferrets appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Burnie Fraim, 42, and 24-year-old Jessica Benales appeared before a Commonwealth District Court judge in Sharon Hill around 1 p.m. The hearing was continued for another month however after one of their public defenders never showed up. Another hearing is set for March 4.
During the brief hearing it was revealed the couple still has not undergone psychiatric evaluations which they were ordered to do as a condition of their bail. The judge told the couple they needed to undergo the evaluations before the March 4 hearing.
Prosecutors charged each of the Delaware County parents with five counts of endangering the welfare of children last month after their newborn, Skyy Fraim, had her nose and cheek eaten away and upper lip shredded by as many as three ferrets. The baby was strapped into a car seat that was sitting on the floor of the family's Darby home.
Fraim was upstairs sleeping and Benales was in the restroom at the time of the attack, police and the family told NBC10. Fraim said they believed the animals broke out of a mesh pen where they were being kept.
The baby underwent emergency surgery where stents had to be placed in her nose for breathing, police said. She was released from the hospital late last week and placed into foster care along with four of her siblings. Officials say she will most likely have to undergo more plastic surgeries however.
All five children and both parents have special needs and were in the care of three social service agencies at the time of the mauling, authorities tell NBC10. Seven case workers were assigned to the family.
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A bail recommendation of 10 percent of $100,000 and a psychological monitoring was denied by a judge, Darby Police Chief Robert Smythe said. The parents were instead released on their own recognizance. Smythe spoke to NBC10 during Wednesday's hearing.
"Have you ever seen somebody's face eaten off?" he asked. "A 1-month-old? You'd have a special interest in it too if you'd seen that. It's a shame for these people. I feel sorry for these people. But they cannot take care of five children from the ages of 6 to 1-month!"
Thomas Fieger, the one defense attorney who showed up to court Wednesday, insists the couple is fit to raise all five children however.
"I think there are always two sides of a story," Fieger said. "Essentially these parents are very concerned, responsible parents that make do with what they have and I even spoke to the pediatrician who spoke glowingly about how well they tried to take care of their children."
Fieger also insisted the couple's home was in good condition with food available for their children contrary to police reports that the house was in deplorable condition.
The parents are currently allowed to visit all five of their children but must get permission first from the Children and Youth Services (CYS). CYS and other organizations continue to investigate.
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter and Facebook.
