Dad who almost killed 7-week-old daughter gets 48 years in prison (Dearborn County, Indiana)

Dad is identified as JOSHUA E. SCHULKERS. Notice that Mom has lost custody, though it's not really explained why. Is she considered at fault because this dude violated a no-contact order? I can't help but wonder what choice she really had in the matter....

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120905/NEWS010701/309050118/Dad-almost-killed-baby-smiled-court?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Dad 'almost killed' baby; smiled in court

Man gets 48 years in prison

9:37 PM, Sep. 5, 2012

Written by Janice Morse

DEARBORN COUNTY — An Indiana man’s near-fatal abuse of his infant daughter got him the max: almost a half-century in prison. Yet during that sentencing hearing, “he was smiling and acting like he didn’t have a care in the world,” Dearborn County Prosecutor Aaron Negangard said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Judge Sally Blankenship had imposed a 48-year prison term on Joshua E. Schulkers, 23, of West Harrison, Ind.

He inflicted numerous injuries on his 7-week-old daughter, including a fractured skull, lacerated liver and seven broken ribs, Negangard said.

Doctors found the injuries in October when the child was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; she remained hospitalized for a month, Negangard said. The child, now in custody of her maternal grandmother, seems to have recovered well but it remains unknown whether she will suffer long-term effects from her head injury, Negangard said.

The judge said Schulkers’ lack of remorse was one reason she sentenced him to the maximum possible prison term, Negangard said. Blankenship also cited the nature of the crimes, Schulkers’ violations of court orders while he was locked up awaiting trial, and his criminal history, Negangard said.

In July, a jury had convicted Schulkers of aggravated battery, two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and battery of a child under age 14 resulting in serious bodily injury. Schulkers kept in touch with the child’s mother despite a no-contact order, Negangard said, and Schulkers vandalized his bunk in the Dearborn County Jail. Schulkers has been convicted of drug offenses and non-support charges, Negangard said.

“Judge Blankenship’s sentence protects any other innocent victims from getting hurt by this terrible person and more importantly provides justice to a little baby girl who was almost killed by the one person who was supposed to protect her: her father,” Negangard said.