Jess Hardiman
WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC AND DISTRESSING CONTENT
A little boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being brutally beaten by his 12-year-old babysitter.
Noah Brown, three, was severely beaten after being left in the care of a 12-year-old boy, family members said.
According to an incident report from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, little Noah was assaulted late evening on 29 November at the home of his father, Tyla Brown.
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The report also indicates that an unnamed 12-year-old boy was arrested and now faces four felony charges, the most serious of which is two counts of serious bodily injury to a person under the age of 14.
The boy’s family have released photographs showing the extent of his injuries, as he remains on life support at the Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
According to reports, Noah was attacked with a belt and smashed into a wall.
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Noah’s mother Michelle Lane told McClatchy News: “He has had to be placed in life support and has had a part of his skull removed due to the intensity of his injuries.
“They have him sedated because of his head injury. They don’t want him to get too worked up and stuff.”
The outlet reported Noah suffered multiple seizures due to the attack.
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His grandmother Candy King claimed the 12-year-old boy had ‘anger issues’, and had attacked Noah because he started to cry.
“[The 12-year-old] has anger issues and Noah started to cry,” she said.
“[He] couldn’t handle it so he beat him with a belt and threw him towards the bed and his head hit the bed frame of the bunk bed.”
She added: “The doctors are removing the breathing tube and neck brace to see if he can breathe on his own all the way and they stopped the sedation medicine [cause] they want him to wake up fully.”
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Noah is expected to have a long road to recovery ahead, not least because he was already battling long Covid.
Before the attack, he was a happy child who was full of life.
“On the go, he loves everyone,” his grandmother said.
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“He will brighten up your day, that’s for sure.
“He’s energetic. He’s a happy little three-year-old. He wouldn’t harm nobody, and nothing keeps that kid down.”
Noah’s mother Michelle has now launched an online petition, calling on lawmakers to introduce legislation in Indiana to make the minimum age of babysitting 16 years.
Currently, there is no legal age, with also no legal age a child can be left alone.
Tyla has reached out to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.