Custodial dad accused of severely injuring 7-week-old twin daughters (Clay County, West Virginia)

All through Dastardly Dads, you'll find plenty of dads who maintained their parental rights despite drug/alcohol issues. In fact, you'll find plenty with outright criminal histories involving assault, rape, and all kinds of nasty stuff. These guys not only retain their parental rights, they get visitation and even full custody.

But once again, Mom loses everything because of an (alleged) addiction problem, so SOLE CUSTODY goes to a violent, short-tempered father who apparently tortured these babies from birth. This was an improvement for these girls? Drug addictions can be overcome. But you're either a vicious @$$hole or you're not. Once again, we see how authorities create much higher standards for mothers.

Dad is identified as RICHARD OSBORNE. 

http://wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/131030_20364.shtml?wap=0

EYEWITNESS LOCAL NEWS from Eyewitness News Online

Father Accused Of Severely Injuring His 7-Week-Old Twin Daughters 

Reported by: Kallie Cart
Web Producer: Kallie Cart

Reported: Oct. 30, 2013 3:16 PM EDT Updated: Oct. 30, 2013 11:22 PM EDT

Wallback , Clay County , West Virginia

Two seven-week old twin baby girls were fighting for their lives Wednesday night.

The twins from Clay County remain in Women and Children's Hospital in Charleston with bleeding on their brains, broken bones and police said more and more injuries are being discovered as time goes on. One of the babies is still unresponsive.

State Police said the injuries were suffered when their father, Richard Osborne, 29, of Wallback, snapped. The twins both have bleeding on their brains and broken ribs. One of the babies also has two broken arms and two broken legs.

State police said doctors diagnosed them with severe shaken baby syndrome, and the twins are fighting to survive.

“I visited the babies last night, and today they're about the size of a large house cat right now,” Trooper Brian Young said. “To see them this small, in this condition is very hard. One is responsive, she's up eating, the other is not responsive.”

Troopers said Osborne told them he was tired of listening to one of the babies cry, so he yanked her from her rocker Monday night and squeezed her until she stopped.

The next day, Osborne realized something was wrong with her arm and he took her to the doctor. That's when doctors realized this had not only happened once, but multiple times to both newborns because the babies had broken bones that had already healed.

Neighbor Faye Smith said Osborne grew up in the Wallback area and she was shocked at what he's accused of doing.

“He could have asked for help,” she said.

State Police said Osborne has never been in trouble and his home on Horse Fork road was well-kept.

 Osborne had sole custody of the twins and was taking care of them on his own, because their mother's rights were severed due to an ongoing drug addiction.

“Parents need to remember to take a step back and remember how precious they are, before reaching down and touching them or doing anything,” Young said.

Since the mother no longer has parental rights because of her drug addiction, and Osborne is in jail facing numerous child abuse charges, that means the babies are in the hospital fighting this fight alone.

State Police said social workers have been staying around the clock to look after them and of course the nurses and doctors.

The couple also has a 2-year-old son. He was checked out and physically was OK. He is in foster care.

 ===

A father from Clay County is accused of abusing his 7-week-old twin girls, leaving them with several broken bones and bleeding on the brain.

Richard Osborne, 29, of Wallback was arrested on a child abuse resulting in serious injury charge, according to a criminal complaint filed in Clay County Magistrate Court.

State Police in Clay County said they received a call from Tuesday from a social worker at Charleston Area Medical Center Women and Children's Hospital about suspected child abuse.

Troopers said both infants had severe injuries including several broken bones and brain bleeds. The criminal complaint said one infant had several brain hemorrhages and broken ribs. The other infant had a hematoma on the right side of her head and several broken bones, including both her legs, arms and her ribs.

Investigators believe that on at least one occasion, Osborne violently grabbed the infants as they were crying and held them tightly against his chest, which led to the injuries they received.

The infants are being treated at Women and Children's Hospital.