Dad charged with battering 22-day-old son during overnight visitation (Lafayette, Indiana)

Defining parenthood by sperm shooting is an insane social policy. And here we see the results. Teen boys are high on testosterone. As a group they're into sports, good times, and hanging with their buds. They are not known on the whole for their nurturing skills or patience. So they don't tend to make good dads. In fact, teen males commit child abuse at pretty high rates.

When the teen dad has NO relationship--past or present--with the mother, that's a pretty good indicator of how bonded he is with the infant in question. Meaning he's not bonded at all. 

But no doubt some idiot judge thought it would be a good idea to make this boy who once had recreational sex into a father by giving him overnight visitation rights. BAD MOVE. 

So the baby starts crying (as newborns tend to do), and Daddy goes off on him, beating him in the head and causing multiple skull fractures.Not only that, he's not even responsible enough to get the baby medical care. SICKENING. 

We need to stop giving any rights to unmarried fathers, especially teen fathers. Want to be a real father? Then "man up" and show some responsibility and commitment to the mother and being a family. 

Dad is identified as BRENDAN T. BELL.

http://www.jconline.com/article/20121012/NEWS03/310120016/father-dad-beat-baby-boy

Felony charges filed against Lafayette teen in infant battery case

9:19 PM, Oct 12, 2012

 Written by Sophia Voravong

A Lafayette teenager claimed to have reached his breaking point and was “in a rage” when he repeatedly struck his infant son’s head — causing multiple skull fractures and internal brain bleeding — because the baby would not stop crying, court documents allege.

The father, 18-year-old Brendan T. Bell, was formally charged Friday in Tippecanoe Superior Court 1 with neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and battery on a child resulting in serious bodily injury. Both counts are Class B felonies, punishable by six to 20 years in prison.

A condition update for his son, who is being treated at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, was not available Friday. The 22-day-old was transferred from intensive care on Tuesday, and medical staff indicated that they would update detectives only if his condition worsened, said Lt. Troy Harris, commander of the West Lafayette Police Department’s criminal investigations division.

In other words, Harris said, the lack of any updates is good news.

The infant is identified in court documents by only his initials, G.C.

As of Friday afternoon, Bell remained in the Tippecanoe County Jail on a $250,000 surety bond.

The investigation began last Sunday, when Bell’s mother called police to report the boy’s injuries. Police believe the injuries were inflicted Oct. 6, when Bell picked up his son from the boy’s mother in West Lafayette. 

Bell and the mother are not, and apparently were never, in a relationship. 

Following is a summary of what investigators believe happened, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with the charges and Bell’s own statements to detectives:

Shortly after Bell put his son in a car seat and drove away, the boy became fussy and would not stop crying. Attempts to calm him down with a pacifier did not help.

Bell is accused of striking the right side of his son’s face three to six times.

He reportedly admitted to noticing that his son’s injuries became worse throughout the night — bruising developed down his face, and the boy was not eating — but Bell didn't seek help because he was “selfish,” having recently been hired and “did not want to lose” his good job.

Bell further claimed to be “scared, young and inexperienced.”

The boy suffered skull fractures, subdural hematomas and scalp hematomas.