CHICAGO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A former male nurse in U.S. Wisconsin state was charged on Thursday with 19 felony counts of child abuse involving nine infants.
Christopher Kaphaem, 43, was accused of multiple counts of intentional child abuse and one count of abuse of a patient causing great bodily harm at a hospital in Madison from March 2017 to February of 2018.
Kaphaem was suspended from UnityPoint Health-Meriter hospital and his nursing license was suspended earlier this year, following an investigation into unexplained bruises on babies in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Five babies were found to have injuries ranging from bruising on arms and legs to a broken arm and a skull fracture, reported Wisc-TV News 3.
According to court documents, hospital staff interviewed by local police revealed that Kaphaem would regularly keep doors closed when he did care exams. Mother of one baby told police that she had concerns about Kaphaem and would stay until his shift ended.
The hospital said in a statement on Thursday that they remain "devastated by what happened," adding they have already taken measures to increase safety in order to earn back trust.
The measures include implementing 24/7 video monitoring in patient rooms and care areas and updating policies for detection and reporting of abuse.
