Dad arrested after 5-month-old daughter hospitalized (Lawrence, Kansas)

How interesting. The ex actually has a lot of nice things to say about UNNAMED DAD, and she's quoted extensively. Her excuse for Daddy's "alleged" abuse of a 5-month-old baby? He's a "big man" and he just picked up the baby "too hard"--a fascinating variation on the Daddy's-just-a-clumsy-oaf-who-doesn't-know his-own-strength argument. The upshot is that fathers are infantalized as helpless morons who can't help but abuse children, so they're not really criminally responsible when they do. Well, if this is true, then maybe we should stop using dads as babysitters while all the mothers are busy earning a paycheck to support these lazy sponges. Maybe we need to get daddies like this out of childcare and into the workforce where they can do some good in the world.

The actual mother of the baby who was injured under Daddy's care isn't quoted at all. I wonder if she agrees with the other woman's assessment.

http://www.kctv5.com/news/26013364/detail.html

Lawrence Father Arrested After Girl Goes To Hospital

POSTED: 4:53 pm CST December 3, 2010
UPDATED: 5:55 pm CST December 3, 2010

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- A Lawrence father was arrested after his 5-month-old daughter was transported from a Lawrence hospital to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Police said on Wednesday a 5-month-old girl was brought to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where doctors determined her injuries were consistent with child abuse and called police. Late Thursday night, Lawrence police arrested the girl's father and booked him into the Douglas County Jail.

A woman who is not the girl's mother, but who has two children with the man, said he is innocent.

"He's devastated," the woman, who asked not to be identified, told KCTV5. "He would never hurt the kids. He would never hurt kids on purpose. He's a good father."

The woman said he told her it was all an accident. She said he was at his apartment in southwest Lawrence where he lives with his new girlfriend and was taking care of their baby while she was at work. The woman said he told her that he was playing on the floor with the girl.

"He said she was on the floor, and he went to pick her up like normal people do, but he's a big man and he picked her up too hard," she said.

The prosecutor's office is reviewing the case to see if battery or child abuse charges should be filed.

The woman said she doesn't believe he would harm his daughter because she never saw him lose his temper or spank their two children.

"He has them while I am at work, and I never had anything wrong at all happen," she said. "Like I told police, I would still let him 100 percent have my kids."

The man is scheduled to make a first appearance in court on Monday afternoon.