One-year-old boy dies from stepdad’s beatings

A one-year-old boy died yesterday after allegedly suffering from the beatings of his stepfather, but police could not file appropriate charges in the absence of a complainant.

Hasaron Reyes was declared dead on arrival yesterday at the Mary Chiles Hospital where he was rushed after suffering from continuing high fever and being comatosed since Thursday.

According to his mother Asina Oti, 20, she noticed the swelling on her son’s arms, face, eyes and thighs on Thursday. But her second husband, Samuel Ali Reyes, with whom she and her son from her first marriage were living in with, the boy accidentally fell from the bed. Since then the boy had lapsed into coma.

Asina told police Samuel has been repeatedly beating up her son for slight mistakes since they moved in with him at his residence at 913 Arlegui street near Globo de Oro in Quiapo.

Officer-on-case SPO2 Benito Cabatbat said Asina refused to be investigated. The cause of the child’s death could also not be ascertained since he was immediately buried, in accordance with the Muslim tradition.

“We could not file any case against Samuel (the stepfather) in spite of the statements of the boy’s mother since she waived the investigation process,” Cabatbat said. Police are also not sure if the child died due to beatings since there was no autopsy conducted on his body, Cabatbat added.       — Nestor Etolle