A six-month-old girl who suffered a skull fracture and cerebral haemorrhage after being dropped onto a changing table by a babysitter has died from her wounds, VRT News reports. Police are currently suspecting the woman of intentionally dropping the young child.
As previously reported, on 27 February, an ambulance was called to a babysitter's home in Kessel-Lo, Flemish Brabant. The caregiver reported that the baby had fallen from her arms onto a changing table, leading the child to fracture her skull.
Police become quickly suspicious of the babysitter’s version of events. On Wednesday, the Leuven Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the caregiver’s testimony was “inconsistent” with the injuries sustained by the infant.
The prosecutor previously noted the child had sustained a significant impact which had knocked the baby immediately unconscious. Since the incident, the child had remained in an induced coma.
On Friday, the child succumbed to her injuries. The woman, who continues to plead her innocence, may now face charges of manslaughter. The doctor assigned to the case stated that the girl’s injuries were so severe that they could not have been caused solely by a minor fall.
Following the official analysis of the legal medical professional, the 33-year-old babysitter is now officially suspected of deliberate assault and battery. The childminder was released on bail early in the week following intensive interrogation. The woman is no longer allowed to work with children while the investigation is ongoing.
The Growing Up Agency has decided to temporarily suspend the childminder as a precaution. “Because it is a serious injury, and the situation has a lot of impact on everyone involved. We don’t know exactly what happened yet,” a spokesperson told VRT News.
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The dead baby’s parents are demanding answers and have failed a civil lawsuit against the childminder. They want to fully understand the circumstances behind the child’s death and get insight into the ongoing investigation.
“The parents want to find out the truth because there are now contradictions about how the incident happened. They trust that the investigation will bring complete clarity,” their lawyer said.
