(Trinidad Guardian) Four-year-old Jenice Figaro, who reportedly died after eating a meal of fries, was in fact beaten to death, an autopsy found yesterday.
The autopsy, performed by forensic pathologist Dr Eslyn Burris Mc Donald at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, found her death was due to blunt force trauma.
When the T&T Guardian contacted Jenice’s father, Robert Figaro, he declined to comment on the results.
“Right now I am having a conversation with the police and I cannot speak right now,” he said.
Figaro told police he left Jenice last Thursday night in the care of a female relative who, along with her children aged five and eight, lived at his home at Corosal, Whiteland.
According to reports, at around 8.30 pm last Thursday, Jenice was at the dinner table eating with two other children when she complained of a tummy ache.
The female relative said Jenice wet herself and she tidied her and put her in bed, but the child still complained of pain. When the pain persisted an ambulance was called in. By the time the ambulance arrived Jenice had stopped breathing and was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
An autopsy was supposed to have taken place on Friday at the San Fernando mortuary, but the doctors sent the body to Forensic Science Centre after they observed marks of violence on the body.
The female relative who is being blamed for the killing has since professed her innocence. In an earlier interview, the relative, who moved out of the house on the night of the incident, denied having anything to do with the child’s death.
Figaro, in a previous interview, said he did not want to believe the relative had anything to do with the child’s death. However, he admitted that the child had several injuries in the past, including a burst lip, a fractured wrist and a burn on her tummy, which had engaged the police’s attention. However, nothing came out of those matters.
Homicide officers were yesterday evening searching for the female relative. Investigations are continuing.
