Friday, September 14, 2012

Dad convicted of physically abusing twin infant sons (Prattville, Alabama)

Dad is identified as MOHAMAD OSMAN. Notice that Mom is going to trial for failing to stop the father's abuse. Or failing to be "aware" of it. This is a charge that's seldom leveled against fathers when the mother is abusive. A father can be absent, clueless, indifferent, whatever, and it's very rarely held against him.

I have to wonder about the wisdom of giving these boys to the parents of the one who abused them. This is a good idea?

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20120914/NEWS01/309140001/Prattville-father-convicted-abusing-twin-sons?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs

Prattville father convicted of abusing twin sons

11:30 PM, Sep. 13, 2012 PRATTVILLE — An Autauga County jury deliberated for about 2 hours and 15 minutes Thursday before convicting a father of physically abusing his young, twin sons.

Mohamad Osman, 21, was convicted of aggravated child abuse and child abuse. Circuit Judge Sibley Reynolds immediately revoked his bond after the verdicts were announced and turned Osman over to the custody of the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office pending sentencing.

Sentencing will be Nov. 8, courthouse records show.

Osman faces two to 20 years in prison on the aggravated child abuse conviction and one to 10 years on the child abuse conviction.

“I feel the jury was able to see through everything and stick with the evidence,” said Casey Biggs, the assistant district attorney who was the lead prosecutor in the case. “The jury was able to see that one of these babies had 10 broken bones in a period covering six months, and the other had two broken bones.

“These broken bones didn’t occur in accidents. They were the result of abuse, and the jury saw that.”

Osman’s attorney, Heather Dixon, declined to comment after the trial.

The case came to light in March 2010 when Jamil Osman, who was then 1 year and one week old, was taken to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham for treatment of a broken left arm. Upon follow up examinations, doctors at Children’s Hospital were able to document with medical certainty that Jamil had seven fractures, documents entered into evidence showed.

Jacob, his brother, had two fractures. The fractures in both babies showed various signs of mending. Some of the injuries could have been the result of multiple breaks in the same original fracture, medical testimony brought out.

Now, the case turns to Brittany Osman, the mother of the twins. She also faces charges of aggravated child abuse and child abuse, courthouse records show. Her trial date hasn’t been set.

The state will continue in its efforts to prosecute Brittany Osman, Biggs said.

“State law holds that if a person was aware, or should have been aware, that abuse is occurring and doesn’t seek medical attention for the child, they are just as culpable of abuse as the person who performed the abuse,” she said. “We feel, under the law, that both parents are guilty of child abuse in this case.”

Brittany Osman is in the Autauga Metro Jail after Reynolds revoked her bond on the child abuse charges in June, courthouse records show. She was arrested on charges of misdemeanor family violence after she allegedly pulled a knife on Mohamad Osman, courthouse records show.

The boys are now in the custody of Mohamad Osman’s parents. “The Department of Human Resources has settled custody issues,” Biggs said. “We have no problem with the paternal grandparents having the children. From all reports, the children have been well taken care of since the grandparents have had them.

“Thankfully, the boys have made full recoveries and show no signs of physical problems due to the abuse."