A MATTHEWS Ridge woman is under investigation by the police after her one-month- old baby who was left unattended for several hours died under questionable circumstances.
Reports from the North West District community are that the woman took the lifeless body of the baby girl to the Pekera District Hospital at Matthews Ridge on Monday night, several hours after she was seen consuming alcohol at a rum shop.

The woman told hospital staff that the child was sick; however, persons at the hospital observed that the child was lifeless. Hospital staff subsequently learnt that the woman had left the child alone at home for several hours. They said the child may have been dead for at least four hours, following which the intoxicated woman took the child to the medical institution.

Reports are that the woman was in the habit of leaving the child at home alone as she partied at the rum shops. Only last week hospital staff visited the woman’s home, but found her at a rum shop in an intoxicated state as the baby slept unattended at home. At the time, the woman’s skin bore marks of violence and residents suspected that she was beaten by her partner.

The police are investigating the matter.