An Oregon couple is furious after charges were dropped against their babysitter who reportedly admitted to abusing their child.
Joshua Marbury and Alicia Quinney came home one day in March and reportedly found their 1-year-old son Jacob with a black eye.
The couple took the child to the hospital and filed a police report.
Sherwood police said they were certain the babysitter was responsible, KATU News reports. A detective even said the attack could have been fatal and that the babysitter confessed to striking the child, Marbury told the New York Daily News.
But despite Jacob’s black eye, bruises and a stinging palm print on his face, charges against the babysitter were dropped due to a 2012 Oregon Court of Appeals ruling that states the victim must be able to describe the attack.
Marbury took to Facebook to slam the legislation. He wrote:
TWO months ago if not longer my 1 year old son was smacked across the right side of his face by our babysitter (keep this person anonymous) to the point where MULTIPLE doctors (who in fact showed us hand prints) and the detective said it could have killed him.
After several days if not week of being distracted at my job (only commission sales job and only source of income) we had a confession from the abuser saying they did it. STILL this person was not arrested because they had to build a case and a jury to find him guilty BEFORE they go to jail.
Side note if im not mistaken (if i strike a person in the face and the cops were called i would be put in hand cuffs immediately). After TWO months of waiting we only find out that charges are dropped BECAUSE my one year old cannot tell you verbally he was abused and my son did not show he was in pain OR that this person “intentionally” did this. I am SO furious that im not using profanity HOPING something is done and this goes viral.
The post did go viral. Since being published on May 20, the post has been shared more than 275,000 times in three days, with several people calling for justice to be served.
The couple continues to fight for a prosecution in the case.
“It’s so disturbing that they can let somebody walk around and live their life while my whole family is traumatized from this,” Quinney told the NY Daily News.
The couple said they now have trouble trusting anyone to babysit their child. Marbury said the babysitter used to be his best friend.
Quinney said Jacob is still scarred from the attack. The baby cries every time he is away from his mother.
“He definitely recovered from the bruises, but inside, this is gonna follow him,” Quinney said.