Charges dropped as Somali dad walks free

The father of a five-month-old baby was released from jail on Monday, after prosecutors dropped child abuse charges against him and further recommended state assistance for the entire family.

The case made headline news last week in media frenzy with rape allegations, after police detained the suspect on suspicion of child abuse. His arrest came after a doctor’s report from Makarios Children’s Hospital said the baby girl had a broken hymen.

It later turned out that the infant had some swelling in the genital area. But a doctor from the hospital had made initial statements that he was certain the baby girl had been raped. Hospital administration later retracted the claim.

Sources told Knews that the Somali couple had some difficulty scraping together the money for their baby’s medical routine checkups and flu shots, prompting them to postpone hospital visits until next month.

But after the mother saw that something was wrong with the baby, the couple decided last week to go for the infant’s flu shot and at the same time have doctors check her swollen genital area.

During the visit, a physical exam showed visible abrasions on the infant’s body around the genital area. The exam was conducted by a pediatric surgeon, followed by the resident gynecologist, and then a state pathologist, all of whom concurred with the finding that the baby’s hymen had been ruptured.

Mother never agreed to allegations against husband

Sources said police had received the official medical report as well as additional statements from the mother that caused investigators to have a reasonable suspicion against the father. Specifically, his wife admitted that her husband had been alone with the baby while she was out of the house but was reluctant to agree to allegations against her husband.

The father had also been denying any wrongdoing from the beginning, but police did not find the couple to be credible and asked a Nicosia judge to order the father remanded in custody for five days until they could carry out a full investigation.

On Monday, the day the remand was set to expire, the father was free to go after prosecutors dropped all charges and further ordered that the entire family be closely monitored by social welfare and mental health services.