NRI nanny
jailed 5 years for slapping, punching and kicking the 6 month baby
Upper Saddle River
New Jersey, April 14, 2007
Sukhjit Bhatia
NRI nanny, Manjula Patel, 51, was sentenced five years in prison
for slapping, punching, dropping on floor and kicking a six months
old babby. The parents of the baby are also belong to India
Manjula Patel told the judge through an interpreter:
- I am very, very, sorry sir
Magin Patel, brother of Manjula asked the Superior
Court Judge Harry G. Carroll:
- For leniency as she made a mistake
Carlo Abad, attorney of Manjula said:
- Patel's actions probably had more to do with her culture.
- I don't condone her conduct, but I don't think she really meant
any harm
- It's just the way she was raised
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Maria Rockfol
said:
- There is no excuse.
- It's an insult to the [victim's] family because they share the
same culture
- But the injuries that we cannot see are to this family- the
worst thing you can do to a loving parent is to hurt their child.
That will never heal.
- The infant was fortunately not injured permanently
The mother of a babby:
- She wept in the courtroom during the sentencing
The father of a babby:
- His voice was shaking with emotion
- The incident has left the entire family traumatized.
- This will remain with us for the rest of our lives
- He asked not to be named to protect the child's privacy
- In what culture is it OK to do this to a defenseless child?
Superior Court Judge Harry G. Carroll said in sentencing
Patel
Indian Nanny
arrested for smacking and shaking baby caught on video
New Jersey, Oct. 16, 2006
Sukhjit Bhatia
Manjula Patel, 51, was charged for slapping, shaking,
kicking and throwing the girl on a hardwood floor as video shows,
according to a county prosecutor. Assistant Prosecutor told that
the beating of the Upper Saddle River girl was caught on video
by the girl's parents, who became suspicious that their daughter
seemed unusually lethargic.
"It was a horrifying video," said Michael Mordaga,
chief of detectives at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.
"We have detectives who deal with child-abuse cases on a
daily basis, and it was too traumatic for them to watch."
A preliminary test showed the infant suffered from numerous fractures.
It also said that the girl had several bruises but no broken bones.
Manjula Patel was arrested and was being held in
a county jail on $200,000 bail. She has been charged with assault
and child endangerment, counts which each carry up to 10 years
in prison.
Patel lived with the couple on weekdays and stayed
at the Ramada Inn in Rochelle Park on weekends, the prosecutor
said.
Ranjan Patel, sister of Manjula said that she was
surprised by the arrest and as far as I know, she is a good person.
Manjula Patel's husband, who is a housekeeper, and
their three teenage children also live in the hotel, the sister
said. The family, which lived on a farm in the Indian state of
Gujarat, moved to the United States recently, she said.
According to the prosecutor, Patel, an Indian national, has been
in the United States since June. The girl's family found her through
a local newspaper ad. Silebi declined to say whether a background
check was done before the parents hired her.Medical Center.
“The baby, who is being treated at a local hospital, was
expected to make a full physical recovery.”
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