The death of a three-year-old girl, allegedly thrown from a fifth-floor apartment by her own father, has sent shockwaves through Casablanca, with disturbing details emerging of a custody dispute and a telephone argument that preceded the incident.
The tragedy unfolded on Monday evening in the Al Matar neighborhood, near Casablanca Finance City, where the child fell from the balcony of an apartment occupied by her father, an anaesthesiologist.
She was rushed to El Hassani Hospital with severe injuries but died shortly after admission.
The circumstances leading up to the girl’s death have since begun to emerge.
According to details obtained by Le360, the child’s parents, both medical professionals, had divorced about a year and a half ago. Their separation was followed by a dispute over custody of their daughter.
Custody was initially awarded to the mother, but a subsequent court ruling transferred it to the father. The decision, however, failed to bring the disagreement between the former spouses to an end.
On the evening of Oct 19, the two reportedly had a heated argument over the telephone.
During the exchange, the father allegedly threatened his former wife, saying he would get rid of their daughter.
What followed was the fatal fall from the balcony of his fifth-floor apartment, with investigators suspecting that the father had thrown the child.
Neighbors alerted the police, local authorities and emergency services after becoming aware of the incident. They also contacted the girl’s mother, who hurried to the building.
The child was taken to hospital in critical condition, suffering from severe fractures and other injuries sustained in the fall. Efforts to save her life were unsuccessful.
The police response brought another disturbing detail to light. Officers who arrived at the building went to the father’s apartment and repeatedly knocked on the door but received no answer.
They contacted the public prosecutor’s office, which authorized them to break open the door and enter. Inside, officers reportedly found the doctor in his bedroom, apparently asleep and in a drowsy, semi-conscious condition.
Investigators were examining whether he had taken sedatives or other medication, although no medical findings establishing the cause of his condition have been reported.
The doctor reportedly remained silent during initial questioning, offering no explanation for what had happened.
Investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances of the girl’s death, including what took place after the telephone argument and before her fall from the balcony.
