Head banged on wall: Stepdad ‘kills’ two-year-old

CEBU, Philippines- A two-year-old girl was found dead by the police in Sitio Panaghiusa, Barangay Tunghaan, Minglanilla town yesterday morning after she was allegedly beaten up by her “drug-using” stepfather Sunday afternoon .

Authorities responding to a report on a maltreated child found Ritsanlyn Donayre already lifeless inside their house.

Nicodemo Corales Diloy, 30, construction worker, and live-in-partner Ailene Donayre were immediately arrested after the police noticed that the Ritsanlyn’s face was swollen and covered with bruises, which they suspect was due to physical abuse.

Police Officer 3 Hazel Tuazon of Minglanilla Police Station’s Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk told The FREEMAN that a concerned citizen called them reporting the death of the child.

She said the caller relayed his suspicion that the child possibly died of severe injuries to the body inflicted by Diloy, so they acted on the report.

Tuazon said that when they arrived at the house, they saw Ailene and Diloy, who had just come home. They reportedly came from Tunghaan Barangay Hall to ask for financial assistance from the barangay for Ritzanlyn’s burial.

The two suspects allegedly told barangay officials that the child died from pneumonia; witnesses, however, said Ritzanlyn suffered from maltreatment by her stepfather so they called for police assistance.

Tuazon said Ritzanlyn was in a pitiful condition, with her swollen and cut face made purple by bruises, which were also found in different parts of her body.

Eyewitnesses told the police that past 5 p.m. on Sunday, Diloy allegedly banged Ritzanlyn’s head against a wall and to make her stop crying he allegedly punched her in the stomach, causing the child to faint.

Past 4 a.m. yesterday, Ritzanlyn died.

Tuazon said Diloy and Donayre are suspected drug-users and each time they quarrel the child get physically hurt as a consequence.

“Kung mag-away sila ang bata maoy pahimungtan (They vent their ire towards each other on the child),” Tuazon said.

Diloy and Ailene did not say a thing during their arrest.  Ailene later insisted that her child died of pneumonia; Diloy, on the other hand, just sat in a corner in silence.

Tuazon said Rinzanlyn’s body will be subjected to an autopsy to determine the cause of her death.

She said Diloy will be charged with murder while Ailene will face a parricide charge. — /RHM (FREEMAN)