A retired nurse accused of maliciously wounding infants in a Virginia neonatal intensive care is free on $25,000 bond, shocking the dad and mom of a number of the infants allegedly harmed by Erin Strotman.
Strotman faces a number of abuse prices after authorities mentioned she was caught on surveillance video mishandling a NICU child. Court docket paperwork describing the surveillance video present the former nurse at Henrico Medical doctors’ Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) allegedly putting stress and weight onto a child’s legs, and pushing the newborn’s legs backward to his head.”
In one other video, Strotman, in accordance with the felony criticism, is accused of taking a child by the legs, then allegedly making use of stress to the newborn’s legs.
The doc mentioned that Strotman was noticed then taking each of the newborn’s legs and pushing them backward to the place the newborn’s toes have been at his head. The infant might be heard crying from the ache.
Strotman was then reportedly seen shifting the newborn’s left leg forwards and backwards, “to which it’s noticed the leg to not be in keeping with a non-fractured leg of a juvenile at that age and situation,” the criticism states.
Henrico Medical doctors’ Hospital, who employed Strotman, knowledgeable the general public that in late November and December, employees members found three infants within the hospital’s NICU unit who had “unexplainable fractures.” The hospital mentioned that they had discovered comparable accidents to 4 different infants in 2023.
Strotman, 26, was recognized as a suspect within the case and, in accordance with NBC Information, she was positioned on paid administrative go away for a yr following the incidents in 2023 however returned to the hospital in late 2024, when the second rash of accidents occurred.
“I feel we share the identical feeling of anger,” Dominique Hackey, father of a 2023 NICU child, mentioned of the decide’s determination to launch Strotman on $25,000 bond. “That is one thing that we have been ready for, however clearly we didn’t count on.”
Whereas on bond, the previous nurse should stay beneath home arrest at her dad and mom’ house. She can’t be round kids or weak adults and might’t present well being care companies of any variety.
The decide saying Strotman doesn’t seem to pose a flight danger or a menace to herself.
Particulars of Strotman’s court-ordered psychological well being analysis have been put beneath seal, in addition to textual content messages exchanged together with her boyfriend, in accordance with WWBT-7 in Virginia.
A authorized agency representing one of many injured infants, now 8 months outdated, mentioned the listening to got here as a shock to them. Strotman’s bond listening to was initially scheduled for Feb. 11. after an preliminary bond request was denied the month prior.
The agency, Marks & Harrison, launched a prolonged assertion calling the decide’s bond determination “extremely disappointing.”
“That is particularly upsetting given the Commonwealth beforehand shared particulars of 4 different comparable incidents that occurred in 2023 that led to Strotman being positioned on one-year paid administrative go away,” assertion reads. “For causes unknown, HCA Henrico Physician’s allowed her to return to the NICU in 2024 the place the Commonwealth’s Lawyer acknowledged, no less than three different infants suffered fractures. Strotman was arrested on Jan. 2, 2025, particularly on prices associated to Child YH’s accidents.
“Our coronary heart breaks for Child YH and the opposite untimely infants – each recognized and unknown – who suffered comparable damaged bones and different accidents whereas within the care of Henrico Physician’s NICU in 2023 and 2024,” the assertion continues. “We respect the Court docket’s determination, however don’t imagine the accused nurse ought to have been granted bond beneath any circumstances.”
The assertion concluded with a reminder that “Erin Strotman can stroll round freely and Child YH (the agency’s consumer) remains to be in a NICU at a distinct hospital.”
