A distressed Sydney mother is at the hospital bedside of her 10-month-old baby who suffered "horrendous" injuries, allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend.
A 23-year-old man is in police custody and will face court on charges of burning and beating the boy at a Penrith home on Sunday night.
Police say the accused and the 10-month-old were the only ones home when the "horrendous" injuries occurred.
Detective Superintendent Brett McFadden said the baby was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to Westmead Children's Hospital and put in an induced coma.
He said police spoke with the mother at length on Sunday night while her baby was treated for extensive burns, reportedly from scalding water, and critical head injuries.
"She is with the child at the hospital. We spoke with her at length last night. Suffice to say she is very distressed," Det Supt McFadden told reporters in Sydney.
"We understand that some of the injuries relate to burning of the skin and about 40 per cent of the child's body. There are other injuries there that appear to be consistent with blunt force trauma."
He could not say whether the injuries were deliberate, but said the burns appeared to have been caused by hot water.
"We're satisfied that the 23-year-old male has a case to answer and the matter is before court," Det Supt McFadden said.
He said the accused was not the boy's father but was in a relationship with his mother.
"What we do know is that the biological mother of the child and the 23-year-old male that has been arrested have been in a relationship for the last four or five months, and for the last few weeks they've been residing together at the Penrith address," he said.
The boy's biological father has been spoken to by investigators.
Det Supt McFadden said the accused is known to police, but would not say in what capacity.
The 23-year-old man was arrested at the home on Sunday and charged with recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm, he said.
He has been refused bail and will face Penrith Local Court on Monday.
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