Pontiac, MI – Karen McDonald has charged a 44-year-old Troy woman with First-Degree Child Abuse after a 13-month-old child suffered severe brain trauma while in her care.
Prosecutors allege that Swapna Hari, a Troy resident, was babysitting the child on September 3 when she claimed the toddler fell backward while eating and began choking. The child was later hospitalized with significant head injuries and ultimately suffered serious brain damage.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, medical findings indicate the injuries are inconsistent with choking or a simple backward fall. Authorities allege the injuries occurred while the child was in Hari’s care.
“In a single moment, this healthy and happy 13-month-old child suffered a life-changing injury, allegedly at the hands of this defendant,” McDonald said in a statement. “Our office sees too many cases of childhood brain injuries caused by abusers. These are physical injuries that often never heal completely. It’s heartbreaking and horrifying to learn a caregiver would harm a child instead of protecting them.”
First-Degree Child Abuse in Michigan carries a penalty of any term of years in prison, up to life.
Hari presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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