An Indiana babysitter, aged 31, has avoided prison time despite being found guilty of abusing and neglecting several children under her supervision, resorting to physical violence such as punching, slapping, and kicking when they misbehaved. On Thursday, Judge R. Scott Sirk of the Hancock County Circuit Court sentenced Meleiah Fisher to three years of house arrest, followed by 2 1/2 years of probation.
Fisher faced arrest in 2022, facing a total of 10 felony charges. These included several counts of neglect of a dependent leading to bodily harm and battery causing injury to an individual under the age of 14. She struck a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to five counts of neglect, which led to the dismissal of the other charges against her.
A report from the Greenfield Daily Reporter reveals that on September 15, 2022, a detective from the Greenfield Police Department answered a call from the Indiana Department of Child Services concerning suspected child abuse occurring at Fisher’s residence, where she provided babysitting services for several children.
When investigators reached her location, they allegedly engaged Fisher in a discussion regarding a child under her supervision who had sustained several injuries, such as bruises and abrasions on his forehead and nose. She asserted that the child sustained the injuries from a fall that occurred several days prior. She also recognized that a number of other children had sustained injuries, but clarified that they just tend to “play rough” when visiting her house.
However, when officials spoke with the children, their accounts sharply contradicted Fisher’s explanations. A child even demonstrated the abuse to detectives, providing a physical example for the police.
A conversation between a child and another mother revealed the disciplinary methods used by Fisher. When asked about how he handled misbehavior, the boy allegedly stated, “Mom, you get beat up,” mentioning that he faced “punches” or “slaps” for incidents like “spilling something or making a mess.”
During an interview conducted by experts at Zoey’s Place Child Advocacy Center, the victim reportedly maintained that response when questioned about how Fisher disciplines his brother, according to police.
Officials observed that only a limited number of the children in Fisher’s care were of an age to articulate and offer accounts concerning the mistreatment.