JAKARTA - An 11-month-old baby girl died after allegedly being abused by her biological father in Cakung, East Jakarta, in an incident believed to have been motivated by jealousy towards his wife.
The suspect, a 30-year-old man identified as RPP, was detained after police found several injuries on the victim's body.
The case came to light after Cakung Police received a report of a baby's suspicious death on Thursday night, Oct 1.
An examination by the identification team from the East Jakarta Metro Police found bruises on the victim's face and several parts of her body, as well as bleeding.
According to preliminary police investigations, the suspect was believed to have become enraged after discovering that his wife had been exchanging messages with another man before taking out his anger on their child.
At the time of the incident, the victim's mother was reportedly at work while the baby was at home with the suspect.
Police said the suspect initially sought help by taking the victim to a family member before asking for the baby to be taken to hospital.
He reportedly told a witness that the victim had been vomiting.
However, the suspect later gave another explanation, claiming that the baby had been struck by a ceiling fan.
The conflicting accounts raised suspicion, particularly after the witness noticed numerous bruises on the victim's face.
Police investigations subsequently found that the baby was believed to have suffered abuse before her death.
The suspect was detained to assist investigations, while the victim's remains were taken to Kramat Jati Police Hospital for further examination.
Police also clarified that an initial report identifying the suspect as the victim's stepfather was inaccurate, as investigations confirmed that the man was her biological father.
The case is still being investigated to establish the chronology of events and determine the legal action to be taken against the suspect. - Agencies