Attorney for Rockford-area mom accused of medically abusing her children asks for directed finding of not guilty

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – The bench trial of a Winnebago woman accused of medically abusing her children continued Thursday in a Winnebago County courtroom.

Prosecutors say 54-year-old Kathryn Williams, who’s charged with aggravate battery of a child, subjected her two children, then 13 and 11, to a series medical treatment they did not need between 2007 and 2018.

Defense attorney Shelton Green asked Judge Debra Schafer to grant a directed verdict of not guilty Thursday, saying the state has not shown any evidence to prove his client did anything other than listen to doctors, who were treating the children for serious medical issues.

“They have a wonderful theory about medical child abuse and how it can occur,” Green said after the hearing. “And it probably does. But not in this case. They just went on their theory, and they explain the theory without trying to find any facts and look and see if the facts contradicted their theory.”

Kathryn’s husband, Christopher Williams , was initially charged in the case, however, those allegations have been dismissed.

Schafer is expected to read her decision on Green’s motion for directed verdict on Aug. 1.

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