Colombian police arrest a father who killed his 3-year-old son because he didn't want to bathe
The accused took the child to the hospital claiming he had a domestic accident, but the medical findings and police investigation revealed the truth
The death of a three-year-old boy in Cali sparked outrage and renewed calls to strengthen child protection mechanisms.
The child arrived at a medical center without vital signs on November 24, in circumstances that were initially presented as an accident domestic.
However, medical findings and the police investigation led to the arrest of his father, charged with aggravated homicide.
According to the official report, the adult took the child to the Carlos Holmes Trujillo Hospital and claimed that the little boy had fainted before taking a bath.
Health personnel detected multiple injuries inconsistent with that version and alerted the authorities.
Forensic Medicine later confirmed that the child had fractured ribs, a pulmonary laceration, and massive chest bleeding, injuries that caused acute respiratory failure.
Experts also identified old marks indicating a pattern of repeated assaults.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the evidence suggests that the child was beaten because he refused to take a bath, a version that coincides with testimonies from neighbors who described almost daily episodes of violence.
The Basic Unit of Criminal Investigation established that the assault occurred in a house in Vergel neighborhood, where the alleged aggressor lived with his current partner and two other minors.
The child's mother had left the country months earlier, leaving the boy in his father's care, a situation that prompted further investigation into the living conditions within the home.
The suspect was arrested after the child's funeral, while traveling in a hear after attending the burial.
The man, who arrived in Colombia eight years ago, has a record for illegal possession of firearms, a factor that will be taken into account in the criminal proceedings.
Following his arrest, He was presented before the Prosecutor's Office and a judge imposed a preventive detention order in a prison.The accused did not accept the charges. The Cali Metropolitan Police lamented the crime and reiterated their call to the community to report signs of child abuse.