Virginia Nurse Erin Strotman Faces More Charges for Allegedly Breaking Infant Bones

Nurse Erin Strotman's Alleged Crimes

• 💔 A Virginia nurse, Erin Elizabeth Anne Strotman, is facing additional charges for allegedly breaking the bones of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
• 🚨 Initially charged in January with felony malicious wounding and child abuse, the case has expanded to include 20 child abuse-related charges for alleged injuries inflicted upon nine babies.
• 📹 Surveillance footage reportedly showed Strotman taking a five-month-old infant by the leg and pushing the child's legs to the point where their feet reached their head.

Hospital's Handling of Incidents

• 🏥 The Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, discovered unexplained fractures in three babies in 2023, and a similar incident in 2024 involved four babies with fractures.
• 🗓️ Despite a policy to report suspected child abuse within 24 hours, the hospital did not notify the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) about the 2023 incidents until weeks later.
• 🚶‍♀️ Strotman was placed on paid administrative leave for a year following the 2023 incidents but was allowed to return to the hospital in late 2024.
• 🚫 Hospital administrators also failed to identify all personnel who came into contact with each patient or collected lab results, violating other policies.

License Suspension and Public Reaction

• ⚖️ The Virginia Board of Nursing suspended Strotman's nursing license, citing a substantial danger to public health and safety.
• 📅 Strotman, who received her license in May 2019 and began working at the hospital that same year, had her license suspended in May 2025.
• 🗣️ The discussion highlights a lack of faith in institutions meant to protect the public, with concerns raised about delayed investigations and potential systemic failures.
• ❓ Questions are raised about why it took so long to report the incidents and why the nurse was allowed back, with speculation that the hospital's own protocol violations hindered the investigation.
• 📈 The case is seen as a tragic example of abuse against the most vulnerable, with calls for accountability and potential class-action lawsuits against the hospital.