Lidia Quilligana was arrested over claims of beating and burning the three-year-old child on a stove, and she has been charged with assault, risk of injury to a child, and criminal mischief.
The Danbury nanny has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and reportedly told the little girl’s mother that the child sustained the injuries herself. Quilligana is believed to have told the mum that the child pulled a chair up to the stove, touched the burner and then fell and hit her head off a knob sticking out on the stove.
The mum discovered the injuries after returning home from work to find burns on her daughter’s hands, as well as dark bruising around her eye.
Police proceeded to arrest Quilligana after studying footage recorded on a nanny-cam.
Investigating officer Thomas Geanuracos wrote in a report: “In the footage, you can see the absolute fear and pain from the trauma in [the little girl’s] facial expressions. At one point, I observed Quilligana pick her up by the throat with two hands and toss her to the ground.”
The 31-year-old, who was the full-time babysitter for the girl and her two younger siblings, is due to appear in court again at the end of next month. If found guilty, Quilligana faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Horror stories like these highlight why it is so important to be aware of the signs of child abuse.
