A MAN has been held under criminal detention for being suspected of physically abusing his girlfriend’s 1-year-old daughter, causing fatal injuries. The girl allegedly died after eight days of medical efforts to save her, according to the girl’s father, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

According to a previous news report, the 1-year-old girl had been taken to the University of Chinese Academy of Science Shenzhen Hospital late Sept. 17. She had already fallen into a coma when she was taken to the hospital’s ICU.

The girl’s medical record shows that she had multiple injuries on her head, fingers and all around her body. A fatal wound was found on her head, which caused cardiac and respiratory arrest.

The girl’s father, identified as Zhu, was informed about the girl’s injuries Sept. 19, two days after the girl was taken into the ICU. He went to the hospital to visit his daughter, who was being kept alive by a respirator. A doctor told the girl’s family that her chance of survival was nearly zero.

Zhu said he divorced the girl’s mother in March. While Zhu had custody of their older daughter, his ex-wife had obtained custody of the younger daughter, the one who was badly injured.

Zhu nearly broke down when he saw his little girl in the ICU. Zhu suspected that his daughter had been abused because there were so many injuries all over her body.

However, the sister of Zhu’s ex-wife said it wasn’t possible that the mother had abused the little girl. “My sister did not abuse her child and she is extremely sad and exhausted at the moment,” said the sister earlier last week.

The mother also defended herself by pointing out that the injuries to the girl’s chest were made when she bumped into the bed by accident and that the hand injuries were caused by a kettle of boiling water. As for the head injury, the mother would not reveal any details but only stated that the girl had fallen on the ground several times, which might have injured her head.

The mother refused to comment on the possibility of her boyfriend abusing the girl.

Zhu did not believe his ex-wife’s claims. The police have stepped in to investigate the case, and the mother’s boyfriend has been arrested, but no other details have been revealed yet.

Zhu told the newspaper Tuesday that his ex-wife had taken the girl out of the hospital at midnight that day. By the afternoon, Zhu said his daughter was dead. However, neither the hospital nor the police have confirmed the girl’s death yet.

(Zhang Qian)