Macau | Infant allegedly shaken by maid into coma dies

The Conde S. Januário Hospital

The 2-month old infant allegedly shaken by a domestic helper into critical condition died last Friday evening. The Conde S. Januário Hospital, where the baby was hospitalized, says the cause of the child’s death needs to be further identified.
The public hospital’s director, Kuok Cheong U, responded to media inquiries saying that “from the result of our examination, we think this is Shaken Baby Syndrome. It happens when an infant’s brain is damaged during the movement of shaking. However, further investigation is necessary to confirm whether child abuse took place.” Meanwhile, the Judiciary Police (PJ) has asked the Public Prosecution’s Office to order an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
The baby girl was sent to the emergency room about two weeks ago, where the doctor diagnosed her with brain and retinal hemorrhage, and informed the police as they suspected that the infant was abused. The Vietnamese domestic helper who had been recently hired by the baby’s mother to look after the infant was then arrested as a suspect.
The incident occurred five days after the mother had resumed work after maternity leave. On Aug 10, when the mother returned home from work, she found the baby’s eyelids were red and swollen and her body weak. The infant then fell into a coma. The mother immediately questioned the maid, but she pretended as if nothing had happened and claimed to be unaware of it.
According to the PJ, the 33-year old helper, surnamed Nguyen, had previously denied the allegations but was still transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office on suspicion of committing “grievous bodily harm.” With the baby’s death, Nguyen will be charged with a more serious offence, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 15 years if found guilty.