Dad indicted for abusing 3-month-old daughter--apparently during summer visitation (Cookeville, Tennessee)

As usual in these news articles, custodial status is not spelled out very clearly. But it certainly appears that the three children were with dad JOSEPH ERWIN DOWELL during some sort of summer visitation arrangement. Unless it was that he simply had custody, which is another possibility. Since the abuse took place at "his home" and while the children were "in his care" and all.

But how utterly ridiculous--three apparently young children in their father's "care"--including a 3-month-old baby? Why? Frankly, a baby that young needs consistent care with her mother, not being bounced around from house to house. And apparently there was no problem with the mother's care, as she is now back in the mother's custody.

The politically incorrect truth: The biggest risk group there is for shaken baby syndrome is fathers, followed by stepdads and/or boyfriends. Certainly there are many men who are fine nurturers. But there is no point in creating a public policy encouraging the wholesale placement of infants and very young children with fathers--especially those with criminal and or/or violent histories.

http://www.herald-citizen.com/view/full_story/9790126/article-Dad-indicted-for-child-abuse?instance=latest_articles

Dad indicted for child abuse
by Mary Jo Denton Herald Citizen
18 hrs ago

COOKEVILLE -- A Cookeville man was arrested in Kentucky last week for allegedly abusing his infant daughter at his home here last summer.

Joseph Erwin Dowell, 27, of West Jackson Street, is charged with aggravated child abuse in the case.

He was indicted by the Putnam grand jury on that charge in August after Cookeville Police Detective Sgt. Bobby Anderson presented evidence from an investigation he had been conducting since last May.

Dowell's three month old daughter and two other young children were in his care at his home on May 26 when the baby appeared to be having breathing problems, according to police reports.

When the baby was taken to the Cookeville Regional Medical Center emergency room, doctors found a possible brain injury and notified police.

At the ER, Officer Justin Long talked to the father, who allegedly told him that he woke the baby that morning to give her a bath and found that she "was having shallow breaths and was not waking up fully."

"He said he took the baby outside of the residence to see if the bright sunlight would help wake her, but the baby began to shake," the report says. "He said he then dialed 911 and the baby was taken to the hospital by ambulance."

Long notified the detective division and the Department of Children's Services, and an investigation began.

The baby was transferred to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville to be treated for "injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome," Anderson said.

The baby survived and is now in the custody of the mother, he said.

After further investigation, Anderson took the case to the grand jury, and Dowell was indicted.

On Oct. 2, he was arrested in Madison County, Kentucky, and was brought back to Cookeville and booked into the Putnam County jail, where his bond was set at $35,000.

He is to be arraigned in Criminal Court on Nov. 16.