Bermudians must address a deep problem within the Island's culture if they are to prevent another tragedy such as the manslaughter of five-month-old Saed Young, a leading child care expert warns.

Shelagh Cooper of the Coalition for the Protection of Children spoke out after Saed's godmother, Sharina Anne Tuzo, was convicted at the Supreme Court on Tuesday of his manslaughter.

A jury decided Tuzo, 20, had known her boyfriend Jermaine Pearman, 27, had been physically abusing Saed at a house in Bob's Valley Lane, Sandys, in August 1997 but had failed to get the child medical attention.

Saed was rushed to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with a fractured skull, fractured collar bone, bite marks on his face and foot and other injuries on August 26 but died three days later.

Ms Cooper said there is a fundamental flaw within Bermudian society which is resulting in children continuing to be beaten while adults chose to ignore it.

Although Tuzo did not actually injure the child, she was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of gross negligence and a reckless disregard for Saed's safety.

The Crown argued that Tuzo was torn between her love of Pearman -who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter - and her responsibility to the child, but let the baby be abused because she was afraid of losing her boyfriend.

Under cross-examination, Tuzo admitted she did not tell a doctor or the child's mother about the abuse because she was protecting Pearman.

Noting that seven people have been convicted of the murder or manslaughter of children in Bermuda in the past five years, Ms Cooper said that, per head of population, the Island must be close to leading the Western world when it comes to this type of crime.

Ms Cooper said the Coalition estimates there are more than 2,000 cases yearly where children witness domestic violence or are victims.

She claimed the high cost of housing in Bermuda made the problem worse because many women in abusive relationships could not afford to leave and find alternative accommodation.

She said: "There is something about our culture that has allowed this type of extreme violence to continue to be perpetrated or ignored.

"The dynamics of the relationship between this young couple that led to the battery and neglect of this child are all too common in this community.

"In my experience at the Coalition, these patterns in which a woman is prepared to ignore all manner of abuse (both physical and sexual) in order to hold onto a relationship, occur more often than any would care to admit.

Poor housing fuels abuse: Cooper "If you look at the histories of these women, you will find almost without fail that they have sought an abusive environment that mirrors the one they experienced as a child.

"Boys in these situations often grow up to abuse women and children and the girls grow up to accept this victimisation as part of life.

"The situation is seriously made worse by the total lack of affordable housing options that allow women to escape abusive relationships.'' She added: "Baby Saed is dead, but how many of our children have survived similar combinations of abuse and neglect?'' She said the link between domestic violence and past child abuse does not justify the violence inflicted children, but "it broadens the culpability to encompass all of us who fail to intervene when we see or hear a child in pain or danger.

"Somewhere out there in our community there are many people as damaged and as capable of violence or neglect as this young couple. They need our support -and the children who cross their paths or live under their roofs need protection.'' Tuzo maintains she is innocent and plans to appeal against her conviction.