Attleboro Man Sentenced After Infant Suffers Permanent Injuries

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — An Attleboro man has been sentenced to state prison for abusing his infant daughter so badly that she suffered permanent disabilities as a result.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that John Silva, 31, was convicted on January 13 after a bench trial in Fall River Superior Court on charges of assault and battery on a child causing severe bodily injury and reckless endangerment of a child.

Silva was sentenced to three to four and a half years in state prison, followed by two years of supervised probation.

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What Happened to the Infant

The charges date back to September 9, 2021. On that morning, Silva was home alone in Attleboro with his five children, all under the age of five, including infant twins who at the time were just six weeks old. While he was caring for the children, one of the infant twins sustained a serious head injury.

Silva contacted his wife, the mother of the children, while she was at work and said that a sibling had dropped a plastic toy on the victim’s head. Silva’s wife contacted her mother, who went over to the home and did not report concern. No medical treatment was sought at that time.

However, when the mother returned home from work at about 3:30 p.m., she saw that the child was in need of medical attention. The infant was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, and doctors found the child was suffering from a skull fracture and bilateral brain bleeds.

Doctor Testifies Injuries Were Non-Accidental

Dr. Abigail Keough testified during the trial that the brain injury the child suffered was the result of abusive, non-accidental head trauma, which left the infant with permanent disabilities.

District Attorney Reacts to Conviction

"I’m pleased the court convicted the defendant of recklessly causing serious injury to his infant daughter,” D.A. Quinn said. “These types of cases can be difficult to prosecute because there are often no witnesses. Fortunately, the child has been placed in a loving home and has made great strides in her recovery.”