BRILEY LINHART 15mo / Accused: Dorothy Varallo-Specken, babysiter - Moline, IL

Babysitter broke both baby's legs and left her with spinal fracture after 'too rough' diaper change
Briley Linhart will have her legs in plaster casts until September
Babysitter Dorothy Varallo-Specken has been charged with aggravated battery to a child
She is being held in the Rock Island County Jail on $25,000 bond

A 15-month-old baby is recovering after having both legs broken by a babysitter who allegedly admitted she was 'too rough' during a diaper change.

Briley Linhart, of Illinois, suffered a double spiral fracture from the incident on July 22 and has had her legs in a plaster cast for over three weeks.

Briley's legs were broken by family friend Dorothy Varallo-Specken, 22, who was looking after the youngster as a favor to her mother at her home in Moline, Illinois, police said.


Briley Linhart (pictured in her car seat) suffered a double spiral fracture and has had her legs in a plaster cast for over three weeks

Varallo-Specken is alleged to have admitted that she was too rough with the baby. She is alleged to have 'twisted' and 'bent' the legs until they broke.

Luckily, doctors say Briley is making good progress and is expected to have the cast taken off in September.

Briley's grandmother Kim Linhart said she is shocked at the alleged abuse.

She said: 'I want her punished. As far as I know she confessed to it. I felt bad because if I wouldn’t have been hurt, this wouldn’t have happened to her.

'It’s been hard on all of us. I don’t care if the child is the biggest heathen on the face of the earth, you don’t hurt babies, ever.'

Kim said she usually looked after her granddaughter while her daughter went to work.

On this occasions she had to turn down the babysitting because of a bad back.

Her daughter turned to Varallo-Specken who was staying in a neighboring apartment.

After she returned home from work she noticed a bruising on her baby's head and swelling in her left leg.

'She took her to Illini Hospital (Silvis) and the doctor was pretty interested in the bump on her head, but my daughter also was concerned about the leg,' Linhart said.

'She asked the doctor about the leg, but they just blew it off.'

Linhart said her granddaughters leg swelled up overnight and she taken back to hospital where X-rays confirmed they were broken.

KIm said: 'I said, 'I know my daughter didn't do that. I want to know who did this to my granddaughter.''


Dorothy Varallo-Specken (pictured) admitted to being 'too rough' while changing her diaper

Police and child services were called and Varallo-Specken arrested.


Doctors said Briley is making good progress and is expected to have the cast taken off next month


Briley Linhart pictured with her mother, who had hired the babysitter through a friend of a friend

Detective Scott Williams of the Moline Police Department said, 'We have a statement from the suspect favorable to the prosecution of this case.'

Kim added: 'I'm just sick. I hate seeing my granddaughter in those casts. She was an early walker and she can't get anywhere now.

'Since this happened, she clings to me and cries when I'm out of her sight. She's not her cheerful, happy self. She's crabby. I'm sure it's because of the pain.

'I feel guilty because I wasn't with her.'

Varallo-Speckman has been charged with aggravated battery to a child, a Class X felony under Illinois law.

She is being held in the Rock Island County Jail on $25,000 bond.


Grandmother Kim Linhart (pictured) usually takes care of the baby when her mom can't, but this time she couldn't

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2398409/Babysitter-Dorothy-Varallo-Specken-broke-Briley-Linharts-legs-rough-diaper-change.html

Poor little angel.  Just broke my heart when I read about her pain.  At least she is alive and recovering.  William