Parents Want Justice For What Happened To Their Baby, Get Rejected For Strange Reason

#1 Babysitter Beat One Year Old

Markell Hilaire, a babysitter in Oregon, made the headlines when he was arrested for smacking a one-year-old baby, leaving the child black and blue, bruised, and with hand prints across his face. He had a black eye and multiple doctors that examined the baby and even the Sheriff stated that the beating could have killed the young child.

#2 Parents Return Home To Find Babysitter Passed Out

Joshua Marbury and Alicia Quinney came home one day in March and reportedly found their 1-year-old son Jacob with a black eye and bruised, with the babysitter, a family friend, passed out drunk on the couch. They immediately took Jacob to the hospital and charges were filed. Hilarie was arrested but released as soon as he obtained an attorney.

#3 Oregon Law Requires Victim To Be Able To Explain What Happened

Despite Jacob's black eye, bruises and a stinging palm print on his face, charges against the babysitter were dropped due to a 2012 Oregon Court of Appeals ruling that states the victim must be able to describe the attack. In other words, if the victim is unable to describe the assault and say that it was done in malice, there was no attack.

#4 Animals Have More Rights In Oregon Than Babies

Marbury was furious as the charges were dropped. "I'm so extremely upset, it's disturbing, on this little innocent baby," Jacob's mother, Alicia Quinney told the Daily News. "To think someone could do this to him." She claims that the ruling tangles up prosecutors and courts so frequently that animals have more protection from abuse than children do. "It doesn't make sense that someone can go strike a dog and witnesses see it, that's enough proof, but if you strike a baby..." Marbury told the local news. "I don't understand why this law is in effect."

#5 Charges Were Dropped Against Abuser

"After TWO months of waiting we only find out that charges are dropped BECAUSE my one year old cannot tell you verbally he was abused and my son did not show he was in pain OR that this person âÂ€Â˜intentionally' did this," Marbury wrote in an angry Facebook post recently. Her post and photos went viral, and over 250,000 people wrote to the State of Oregon on her behalf about the "stupid law".

#6 The Babysitter Made Up Lies About How The Baby Was Injured

Jacob's father told the News the babysitter used to be his best friend and made up several lies and excuses to cover up the beating, first suggesting the child fell, then claiming he accidentally dropped the boy. He later said he had no idea because he was drunk. The parents say that while the scars have healed on his face, Jacob is emotionally scarred and screams every time they leave him with someone, even when they go to work.

#7 Oregon Children Are Vulnerable

The family started a petition to get the Oregon law changed. It garnered over 55,000 signatures in just weeks. Since then, Markell Hilaire has been arrested according to the district attorney in the county. Details were not given out on what charges the court provided him with. He is being held in custody on $10,000 bail and did offer the family an apology at his hearing. In the meantime, the antiquated law remains and children are left vulnerable and voiceless.