This disturbing story on WIVB this morning:

(Amherst, NY, January 4, 2007) - - We're learning more tonight about the alleged abuse of a baby girl in Amherst. The infant is less than a month old. News 4's Alysha Palumbo has more.

Police say 23-year-old William Smielecki abused an infant in his care, not only once, but twice since she was born just three weeks ago.

Timothy Green, Amherst Asst. Police Chief: "The baby's legs were injured probably around December 19th. The child would have been a week old and then the arm injury occurred yesterday and I think the child was about three-weeks-old yesterday."

Assistant Police Chief Timothy Green says Smielecki had been living with the baby girl and her mother in their Amherst apartment, when the mom realized the infant was injured.

Timothy Green, Amherst Asst. Police Chief: "That's what the child's mother noticed was the arm injury, which brought her to take the child to their own doctor, and that doctor immediately sent them to Children's Hospital for treatment."

Officials at Women and Children's Hospital immediately notified child protective services and police, who arrested Smielecki and charged him with child abuse.

Timothy Green, Amherst Asst. Police Chief: "Children that age, they're 100% dependent on responsible people around them to care for them and in this case it didn't happen."

Smielecki is in the Erie County Holding Center on $10,000 bail. He's due back in court for a felony hearing in Amherst next week.
Is a person like this able to be rehabilitated?

How can we prevent this in the future?

Is the mother partially responsible?

I really hate seeing things like this first thing on a weekend. It sets the tone.