A Florida babysitter, who spent 29 months in jail, has been freed of child abuse charges because video evidence against her was found to be unreliable.
Claudia Muro of Hollywood, whose case received wide publicity, had maintained she was innocent of the charge that she slammed and shook a 5-month-old baby girl in her care and that a hidden camera recording of the alleged incident was misleading, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The baby reportedly suffered no injuries.
The 32-year-old Peruvian woman had refused to take a plea deal.
Just before she was scheduled to go on trial, prosecutors acknowledged videotape specialists agreed with the nanny. That led the state attorney's office to drop all eight child-abuse charges against Muro.
"She came here alone as a young Peruvian woman with nothing but the American dream," her attorney said. "She spent 2 1/2 years in jail in our country, but today Claudia Muro learned firsthand the true meaning of justice, even when this nation rushed to judgment against her."
She, however, may still face federal charges of overstaying her visa.
© Copyright 2006 by United Press International
