7-year-old girl allegedly beaten to death by father

A seven-year-old girl in Manila was allegedly beaten to death by her father for not returning his spare change and buying bread instead.

Based on the initial investigation, victim Catherine Joy “CJ” Lloren succumbed to acute respiratory failure and multiple physical injuries on August 26 while being treated at a hospital.

“Pinagbabatukan daw sya ng papa niya. Eh kasi inutusan daw s’ya bumili P37 daw ang dala nyang pera. Pagkatapos yung sukli pinakialaman daw po n’ya dahil ibibili daw po sana n’ya ng tinapay na ube,” Margarita Napacia, the victim’s grandmother, said in Marisol Abdurahman report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday.

(Her father kept hitting her because she did not return his change. She had P37 but instead of giving back the change, she bought ube-flavored bread.)

“Siya daw po ay sinakal ng tatay at pinagsusuntok 'yung ulo,” she added.

(Her father was said to have choked and punched her on the head.)

Napacia said CJ started having a fever on August 18, prompting her to rush the victim to the hospital on August 21. She also said that the victim admitted that her father, suspect Carlo Danni, had been repeatedly hurting her and her mother.

“[Sabi niya,] ‘Nanay, ipakulong mo na po si papa kasi salbahe s’ya.’ Sabi ko, 'Bakit?' Eh, kasi binubugbog niya kaming magkapatid, at saka si mama,” Napacia said.

(She asked me to send her father to jail. I asked her why, and she said he was hurting her, her siblings, and her mother.)

“Sobrang sakit kasi gusto ko syang mabuhay at maka-survive pero di niya kinaya. Bukod sa malambing, matalino, at masayahin. Kaya sobrang sakit eh,” she added.

(I wanted her to survive but she didn’t. It hurts. She was sweet, smart, and joyful.)

Karen Napacia, the victim’s mother, said her husband had hurt her before.

“Kahit ako nasasaktan. Minsan naabutan ko na sinasaktan n’ya yung bata. Nag-aaway kaming dalawa. Syempre ako bilang ina hahayaan ko bang masaktan ang mga anak ko?” she said.

(He also hurts me. Sometimes, I catch him hurting our children and that causes a fight. As a mother, how can I let him do that?)

The police said the suspect is currently at large. Before fleeing, he wrote a letter in which he said he did not hurt his child on purpose.

“Eto po sulat kamay na na-recover natin sa bahay… Parang admission ito,” said Manila Police District Director Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon.

(This is his hand-written letter. This counts as an admission.)

Authorities called on Danni to surrender as they prepared to file parricide charges against the suspect. — Sundy Locus/DVM, GMA Integrated News