A 35-year-old Detroit woman and her boyfriend have been charged with murdering her 3-year-old son following repeated abuse. Prosecutors allege that the boy had suffered multiple injuries over time, including broken bones, and that Child Protective Services had removed him several times before he was returned to their care. In March, the child died at the couple’s home.

Authorities say the woman allowed her boyfriend to live with them despite ongoing abuse, seeking medical attention only to conceal the cause of the injuries. Her boyfriend, 24, faces separate charges and remains at large. The mother has been arraigned and is being held without bond, with court orders barring contact with her older children.

Wayne County prosecutors have charged the pair with murder, torture, and first-degree child abuse. The case has raised serious questions about the system’s failure to protect the child.

A judge assigned the case to a new legal team and scheduled a preliminary hearing in the coming weeks, where evidence detailing the horrific treatment of the boy will be presented. If convicted, both face life in prison.

Community and child welfare advocates are calling for swift reform, urging better funding and oversight of protective services to ensure tragedies like this do not recur.