Trial Begins for Miami-Dade Nurse Accused in Adoptive Daughter’s Death

The trial of a Miami-Dade nurse charged in the death of her -year-old adoptive daughter has begun shedding light on disturbing claims of abuse and neglect Gina Emmanuel is facing charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse involving all three of her adopted daughters Opening statements and testimony started Thursday nearly six years after the tragic death of Samaya one of the children adopted by Emmanuel Prosecutors allege that Emmanuel systematically abused the girls after fostering them in and formally adopting them in Source NBC South Florida Statements of Long-Term Abuse According to the prosecution Samaya and her two sisters endured years of severe abuse at the hands of the woman entrusted to care for them Prosecutors recounted jurors that Emmanuel punished the children in cruel and extreme tactics such as forcing them to stand on one leg for hours and taping Samaya to a chair until her body gave out On November Samaya was ascertained unresponsive in the family s home and was later pronounced dead Detectives discovered multiple suspicious injuries on all three girls raising concerns of long-standing mistreatment The defendant would make them stand on one leg for hours the prosecution noted You will hear how the defendant taped Samaya to a chair until her body could no longer stand Defense Denies Abuse Maintains Defense attorneys for Emmanuel pushed back against the charges arguing there is no credible evidence that the girl s death resulted from abuse They acknowledged there was discipline in the home but insisted it did not cross the line into child abuse Yes there was discipline the defense declared Yes there was various punishment but it was reasonable corporal punishment that is permitted by law not child abuse The defense club emphasized that not all discipline amounts to criminal behavior and urged the jury to view the evidence with care Caretaker Testifies About Violent Behavior A caretaker who looked after Emmanuel s biological son who has special demands gave key testimony on Thursday She reported she witnessed Emmanuel strike -year-old Samaya with a belt and also described how Emmanuel kept the refrigerator locked limiting the girls access to food The caretaker who was in the home the day Samaya died declared the child appeared to be suffering a anatomical episode She was lying down but it was like she was having a seizure the caretaker recalled She noted she contacted Emmanuel without delay warning her that Samaya was in very poor condition However the mother did not return home for several hours Trial Set to Continue The trial is expected to continue over the coming days with more testimony anticipated from investigators diagnostic professionals and individuals who interacted with the family The situation has drawn vital residents attention due to the horrific nature of the assertions and the vulnerability of the children involved