against a babysitter she claims caused her baby to suffer brain damage.

Mrs. Roxanne Thompson says her son's case is just one example of how the criminal justice system has failed victims of physical abuse or sexual molestation.

Attorney General Mr. Walter Maddocks said yesterday he had agreed to speak to Mrs. Thompson, of Somerset, about her case.

Mrs. Thompson said: "My little boy was so badly shaken by his babysitter that he has brain damage. The doctors in the Emergency Department as well as my paediatrician confirmed that he was the victim of `shaken baby syndrome.' "Despite medical evidence and the willingness of the doctors to testify in court, the Attorney General has decided not to press charges against the perpetrator of this crime.

"For some reason, the Attorney General, who has no medical background, decided that my baby could have sustained these injuries by a fall or being hit by a toy.

"Both my paediatrician and the outside expert who was consulted claim that it would be impossible for such severe brain damage to have occurred without having an adult shaking my baby very, very hard.'' Mrs. Thompson added that five other parents gave evidence to the Police describing unexplained injuries to their children in the same nursery.

She has also been "struck'' by recent letters in which two women claimed the Attorney General had refused to press charges in cases of beatings and molestation because the children involved were too young to testify.

"The Attorney General has played doctor, judge and jury in deciding not to prosecute the case,'' she complained.

"Where is the Child Protection Team? Where are the people in the Social Services Department, whose job it is to protect children? Where are the Police and the prosecutors? "My little boy is now almost three and he still cannot walk. Yet, there is nothing to stop the woman who caused these injuries from continuing to look after children.

"I am beginning to wonder who this system is designed to serve.'' Mr.

Maddocks said he had looked at the file into the case and stressed he could not give comments on individual cases.

But he said: "I have written to Mrs. Thompson to ask her to come and discuss the case with me.''