Mother lets snake bite her one-year-old baby to 'teach a lesson'
'People are too sensitive', the mother says
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A woman could face child abuse charges after she let a snake bite her baby daughter.
Chartelle Geanette St Laurent, who grew up interacting with reptiles, said she decided to “teach” her one-year-old about the dangers posed by the creatures.
She told investigators from Highlands County Sheriff’s office that she had seen a number of poisonous snakes on her property in Sebring, Florida.
So she wanted to expose her daughter to the dangers they pose.
In a video posted on Facebook - which has since been removed - Miss St Laurent puts a 14-inch non-venomous red rat snake in a container in front of her child.
The one-year-old is seen reaching for the snake, whereupon she is bitten on the right thumb and starts crying.
The 34-year-old can be heard laughing in the background, though the child did not sustain any injuries related to the bite.
Miss St Laurent told authorities that she allowed the snake to bite her first, to ensure it was not dangerous.
Asked about the laughter, she said she had been surprised when the snake struck her little girl.
Sheriff's are now investigating the incident to determine whether or not her actions break Florida’s child abuse law.
Calling the incident "harmless", Ms St Laurent told ABC Action News: "People are too sensitive. They just think that I hurt my child intentionally."
She added that the child was not hurt, and the snake’s teeth were “too small” to puncture skin.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments