A Texas man is scheduled for execution this week in reference to the dying of his 2-year-old daughter, a case that has ignited controversy over the analysis of shaken child syndrome. Robert Roberson, 57, is about to obtain a deadly injection on Thursday for the 2002 dying of his daughter, Nikki Curtis. Prosecutors allege she was shaken so violently that it resulted in deadly head accidents.
Roberson has constantly claimed he’s harmless. His protection crew, together with a bunch of Texas lawmakers and medical consultants, argue that the conviction relied on outdated and incorrect scientific proof. They contend that new analysis signifies Nikki died as a result of issues from extreme pneumonia, not because of abuse by her father.
Regardless of this, prosecutors preserve that the brand new proof doesn’t weaken their case. They assert that Nikki’s dying was attributable to abuse, highlighting the mind swelling, mind hemorrhaging, and bruises discovered on her physique when she was admitted to the hospital. Courtroom information present that medical personnel instantly suspected abuse based mostly on her accidents.
What’s shaken child syndrome?
Shaken child syndrome refers to a severe mind harm that happens when a toddler’s head is violently shaken or impacted, reminiscent of being slammed towards a floor or thrown to the ground, usually by an grownup caregiver. Based on Dr. Suzanne Haney, a pediatrician specializing in little one abuse and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Youngster Abuse and Neglect, this harm may end up in extreme mind trauma.