Homicide of 20-day-old baby investigated

A man from Tinajo, who is under investigation for the homicide of a 20-day-old baby, was conditionally bailed by a court in Arrecife yesterday.

On April 12^th, the man and his partner took the infant, which is reported as suffering from heart failure to Tinajo Health Centre, but upon finding it closed they then went to the Local Police station, where agents administered first aid. Afterwards, the baby was rushed to hospital in Arrecife, and then transferred to the Maternity Hospital in Las Palmas, where it died days afterwards.

Police began to suspect the father after he changed his story, first claiming that the baby had choked, then saying the infant had been in a car accident with him. A post-mortem has established that the child died of head injuries, and prosecutors are not ruling out that the case may be an example of violence by proxy, in which an abusive partner targets a victim’s loved ones.

The suspect was reported to police for gender violence by his partner last year, but she later chose not to testify against him.