Amanda Burke, a 29-year-old nurse, is facing criminal charges after a father caught her on camera mistreating his newborn baby in the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffolk County, New York.
The video footage, taken on February 6 at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, shows Burke allegedly flipping the baby over and then slamming its face down into the bassinet.
Fidel Sinclair, the father of the 2-day-old baby, named Nikko, was recording the moment, saying he could not believe what he was seeing.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney has described the charges against Burke as “truly disturbing,” however her attorney, Robert Gottlieb, has said that the facts do not justify these charges and that Burke is an exceptional nurse who cares for infants with love and compassion.
Nikko is now back home and is reported to be doing well, though the Department of Education has been notified and Burke’s license as a registered nurse may soon be suspended. Burke is set to be arraigned on May 2.