Two-month-old baby dies after being left alone for nine-day holiday in Turkey

KOCAELİ - Doğan News Agency

The mother, identified as S.M.D, has been arrested by a court after being detained by police DHA photo

A two-month-old baby has starved to death in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, after his mother left him alone at home during the nine-day holiday of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice.

The 34-year-old mother, who works at a primary school as a teacher in Gölcük district, reportedly left her baby at home while she went to the southern province of Adana for the holiday. When she came back, she discovered the baby motionless and took him to hospital.

The doctors found that the baby had been dead for at least three days, and immediately informed the police. According to the initial autopsy, the baby died of thirst and hunger. The baby’s body was sent to the Istanbul forensic medicine institution to determine the exact cause of death.

The mother, identified as S.M.D, has been arrested by a court after being detained by police.

According to neighbours, nobody heard the baby crying, but one of them said they had noticed a bad smell during the first days of the holiday.