Decomposing body of 3-month-old baby found in squalid flat while mother was out 'partying'
ITAPEVI, BRAZIL: A young baby was found dead under a mattress in a filthy flat while his mother was allegedly out partying. The three-month-old boy’s decomposing body was discovered in a locked room after police raided the property in Itapevi, Brazil on March 22. The baby appeared to have died of starvation several weeks before being found.
Upon their arrival, the officers initially found three other young children - aged 10, eight, and three, who were unable to enter the locked room where their sibling’s body was decomposing. Photos showed a cotton wool plug in the lock of the door, intended to restrict anyone from entering the room. The authorities noted that the apartment had been completely abandoned and neglected, with trash lying around on the filthy flooring, according to the Sun.
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Where was the mother when police raided apartment?
Police raided the residence after worried neighbors complained about a bad stench emanating from it. According to local media, the mother wasn't at home with her four children at the time of the police raid. Officers were informed by her neighbors that she frequently left her kids home alone for several days while she attended parties. It was also revealed that the mother prevented the children's father from visiting them. The mother was said to have been filmed dancing at a party the night before the police entered the home, according to Daily Mail.
The authorities soon tracked and arrested the mother but she was released on bail after leaving a statement at the police statement. She has been charged with counts of child abandonment, child mistreatment, concealment of a corpse, and homicide. The infant's cause of death has not yet been determined by the authorities, although they believe he died of starvation. Officials are still investigating other aspects of the case.
Similar incident in Pennsylvania
A couple was arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter after their 19-month-old daughter died after being left alone for more than a day in a similar incident. The parents - James Kasisky, 26, and Valentina Varela-Luis, 25 - told police that each of them thought the other was taking care of the child, but no one had actually checked in on her for more than 24 hours. The toddler was reportedly left in a warm room and had no food or water to consume for more than a day.
"On the eve of Christmas Eve, a very bitter cold night, the investigation revealed that this baby was left unattended for a period greater than 24 hours," said Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Shana Messinger. When emergency personnel arrived, they discovered that the little girl showed signs that she had been dead for an extended period of time. The autopsy also determined that there were no signs of food in the toddler's system. "This case is horrific. It's nightmarish in itself for any parent with children. I think the message is, you got to watch your children every step of the way." Messinger said according to WNEP.
