Amanda Burke: NY nurse who slammed 2-day-old baby Nikko into crib charged with child endangerment
Update: The Long Island nurse Amanda Burke has been charged with endangering the welfare of the newborn named Nikko. The baby's father, Fidel Sinclair, recorded the shocking incident through the NICU's window, where Nikko had been receiving a round of antibiotics. Burke was, at the time, in charge of baby Nikko's care.
The baby's mother, Consuela Saravia, also confronted the nurse about the footage. Saravia slammed the nurse for allegedly mishandling her child: "I told her: ‘I don’t want you to touch my child! You just slammed him." "She said, "Oh no, if you think I mishandled him or anything, I’m sorry."' The baby was ultimately unharmed.
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If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK: Amanda Burke, a nurse from Long Island, was arrested on Wednesday, April 12, after it was alleged that while looking after a two-day-old baby, she smashed the newborn face down into his bassinet. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office filed charges against Burke in the "disturbing" event that was reportedly captured on the baby's father's cell phone.
Burke, a former nurse from Good Samaritan Hospital, turned herself in more than two months after the video of the incident surfaced, according to the New York Post. The 29-year-old resident of Holbrook was working in the neonatal critical care unit of the hospital on Monday, February 6, when, according to the prosecution, she picked up the infant, turned him over and slammed him back into the crib.
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Warning: The video you are about to see is graphic and disturbing. Viewers' discretion is advised
Warning, disturbing video: Parents of a newborn say a NICU nurse slammed their two day old baby into the bassinet when he wouldn’t stop crying. Hear from the baby’s parents at 4 and 6pm on @NBCNewYork #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/K5tRvdK9Tv
— Pei-Sze Cheng (@PeiSzeCheng4NY) February 23, 2023
Prosecutors stated that the baby's father reportedly captured the incident on his phone via the nursery window. The baby's mother reached out to Burke when she finished watching the video, and the parents informed the other Good Samaritan nursing staffers.
The district attorney's office stated that Burke was immediately instructed to leave the hospital and fired a few hours later, according to the New York Post. Suffolk District Attorney Raymond Tierney reportedly stated, "The allegations against this defendant, who is someone entrusted with the care of our most vulnerable citizens, are truly disturbing."
'It was just really horrible'
Burke's attorney, Robert C Gottlieb, condemned the district attorney's office in a statement, asserting that she had cared for the child with "love and compassion," according to the New York Post. He stated, "The Suffolk DA has grossly distorted the facts and should never have brought this case in criminal court."
Gottlieb added, "The infant in this case is healthy and was never injured. Amanda is an exceptional nurse who has always cared for infants under her care with love and compassion and the evidence will prove that without any doubt."
News 12 reported the incident on Wednesday, February 22, after getting a video of the incident. The child's grandmother told the outlet, "I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't sleep for like three days. It was just really horrible." The infant's family stated the baby was on the mend.
What is Amanda Burke charged of?
Burke has been charged with putting a child's welfare at jeopardy, which is a class A misdemeanor. She received a desk appearance ticket for an arraignment on Tuesday, May 2, after turning herself in to Suffolk County police.
Burke's registered nurse license has not been suspended, despite the district attorney's office claiming to have informed the state's Department of Education's Office of Professional Discipline of the investigation's status and findings.