An Oregon father will spend more than a decade in prison after punching his 20-month-old son in the stomach, nearly killing him.
Conviction and Sentencing
On Friday, prosecutors announced that Joseph Washington was sentenced to 121 months (just over 10 years) in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree assault earlier this month.
The assault happened on April 4, 2024, in Portland, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
What Happened That Night
Washington was watching his son at his girlfriend’s home while the child’s mother was at work. He later told her the boy was “throwing up significantly.”
The mother urged him to take the child to the hospital, but Washington refused.
Instead, he brought the child back to her. Recognizing how severe the situation was, the mother rushed him to the ER.
Doctors discovered the toddler had a perforated small intestine with fluid and air leaking into his abdomen—an injury that medical experts said could only result from blunt force trauma.
The child required emergency surgery. Without it, doctors said he likely would not have survived.
Washington’s Admission
After the incident, Washington admitted to the boy’s mother that he became “upset” because the child was bothering him. He confessed to punching the toddler twice in the stomach.
Deputy District Attorney Mihnea Moga, who prosecuted the case, said:
“The defendant’s violence nearly killed this child. Despite his attempts to ignore the child’s symptoms and persuade the mother to have the child go to sleep that night, her decision to take him to the hospital saved his life.”
Criminal History
Prosecutors noted that Washington already had an extensive criminal record, including convictions for:
Assault
Kidnapping
Sex trafficking of children
The case underscores both the fragility of children in abusive situations and the importance of acting quickly when something seems wrong. While Washington will serve over a decade behind bars, prosecutors emphasized that the mother’s decision to seek immediate medical care saved her son’s life.
